When Bianca Byfield was growing up in Eden Prairie, she’d sometimes make a stop on her way home from the school bus. Only on rainy days, though: The Cedar Ridge Elementary third grader liked to watch water flowing down the street and into the gutter. She’d note how it ebbed and flowed, and occasionally she’d throw a pebble into the stream to see how that might change the movement. Tinkering was her thing.

It’s a love that started in EP and lives on today. Byfield, who spent third through 12th grade in Eden Prairie Schools, is now pursuing her master’s degree in Cleantech Innovation at Imperial College in London. In 2023, she earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, with a minor in energy and environment, from Harvard University. “I’ve always really been interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math),” she said. “Luckily, a lot of people in my life, and specifically a lot of women, have been in the STEM field, so it was never super new to me.”

Byfield grew up building Rube Goldberg machines and spending time in the lab with her mother, who holds a Ph.D. in tumor biology. Many of Byfield’s earliest memories are of exploring scientific concepts with her mom: “We would put dry ice, water and soap into test tubes and I would color it. And then I would see the different soap bubbles come up,” she remembered.

Though her elementary school attempt at an egg drop experiment (in which students build contraptions to protect an egg from breaking in a fall) “did not go that well,” Byfield persisted in her scientific endeavors. “Throughout high school, I was still interested in STEM, so I took AP Physics and AP Chemistry at Eden Prairie,” said Byfield. Having the opportunity to take advanced courses in high school, including Calculus III, gave her a strong foundation for college. Though she still had to take a number of math classes at Harvard for her major, she felt well prepared. “I feel like the ramp-up was pretty gradual. I didn’t feel like there was a massive discrepancy in what I was learning at Eden Prairie High School and then going on to Harvard.”

In addition to academics, Byfield balanced a full schedule at EPHS that included soccer, Key Club, National Honor Society and the student organization Dare 2 Be Real. Focused on developing a culture of belonging among students and staff at EPHS, Dare 2 Be Real was deeply important to Byfield during her time in high school. “A big part of Dare 2 Be Real was learning about having constructive conversations, which is definitely something I am not perfect at but something I am working towards. We focused on how people’s experiences impacted them and also sharing our own. What we practiced in these workshops is how I try to approach discussions today.”

One of the Dare 2 Be Real events that Byfield remembers most fondly was hosting a panel for teachers showing the effects that not understanding differences across cultures can have. “I remember that got a lot of positive responses, and it was really nice, because it was seven of us and we all had different backgrounds, and we were just expressing our experiences.” For another event, Byfield led the principal, school board members and other school administrators “on a walk around the school to see it from the eyes of the student.” Kelsey Snyder, an adviser for Dare 2 Be Real, remembers “the passion, honesty, and vulnerability [Byfield] brought to this meaningful project.”

Snyder was also quick to recall the lasting impact Byfield left on the group. “From the beginning, Bianca’s leadership, compassion and genuine spirit were apparent,” she said. “In Dare, we talk about legacy and ask, ‘What is the legacy you are leaving at EPHS?’ Our group has grown and expanded because of the legacy of student leaders, and Bianca is certainly one of those leaders. Students in Eden Prairie Schools experience greater belonging because of her leadership as a student.”

One of the EPHS students continuing to feel Byfield’s impact is her younger sister, Brooke-Lynn Byfield.

The soon-to-be 10th grader has always liked building things, and she owes much of her current interest in STEM to her sister Bianca. “I don’t know how I would get through difficult mechanical problems without her,” Brooke-Lynn said. “I don’t know if I would even prioritize STEM like I do currently if she weren’t so encouraging and embracing of mechanical engineering.”

For years, Byfield has intentionally invited others to take interest in STEM fields and cultivated a sense of belonging within the discipline. In addition to serving as a senator for the National Society of Black Engineers during her time in college, she also spent a year as a Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Fellow. “I never felt deterred from pursuing a concentration such as mechanical engineering,” she wrote in her fellowship profile. “However, I know this is not the same experience some underrepresented students have. As a Fellow, I want my work to encourage everyone to feel more welcome and become more involved in the SEAS community.” 

As for her own work in STEM, Byfield focuses on how science can solve environmental challenges. “Both my parents are from Kingston, Jamaica,” she said, “and so just going to the beach was a big part of my growing up. I’ve always really been interested in the environment too…. I knew I wanted to do something a little bit more specific for my master’s, and I was trying to find something within the intersection of design and engineering.” She found it at Imperial College London, where she’s in the first cohort of Cleantech Innovation students. “It’s basically a mix of engineering, business and environment. Our final project is that we have to make a sustainability-related startup.”

In the midst of all this work, she’s back to wondering about water — and her childhood tinkering has led to big questions and bigger dreams about creating access for all. “Just being able to learn about the state of water has always been an interest of mine. Getting to dive really deep into, ‘What is going on? Why aren’t people getting access to water? And what are some of the things we can do about it?’”

As Byfield learns more about the business of sustainability and how to translate her ideas into practice — for whatever the future may hold — she remains firm in how she can inspire others by staying curious and engaged. “I hope for more people to start getting into STEM, especially people from underrepresented backgrounds, both women and people of color,” she emphasized. As for her siblings back home in Eden Prairie? “I hope that possibly I’m inspiring, a guiding light.” And while she may be too humble to acknowledge it herself, that’s certainly the legacy she’s leaving. 

Listen to Bianca's story recorded as a part of our Oral History Project!