My Story
In 8th grade, I read Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook. This book impacted me deeply, and I gained my first glimpse into the everyday discrimination facing women in the workforce. Since then, I have been a strong supporter for gender equality, something that is severely lacking in the STEM fields. On my robotics team, less than 30% of the students are female. I want this proportion to increase.
We need to challenge the stereotype. The only way to achieve this goal and break the gender barriers is through action. I was really inspired after attending a free technology conference for girls hosted by the PowHERful Foundation. Now, I want to give back by providing a similar opportunities to other girls. Being an EG Ambassador combines many things I’m passionate about. I want to support younger girls, promote careers in engineering, and create lasting connections.
This specific project was inspired by my own participation in science fair for the past two years...Science fair has been a life-changing experience for me, and I would like to share that with other girls. Through this project, I hope to create and foster loves for STEM research and exploration.
My Project
My project is an after-school engineering club for girls at my local middle school. The club will allow girls to complete independent projects following the engineering design process, then present their research at science fairs. Participants can develop critical-thinking and creative problem-solving skills while connecting with the engineering community. While there are already several large organizations promoting girls in STEM in Austin, I think my smaller-scale project will be more accessible to the disadvantaged students in my area.
Update
Bridget graduated from high school in 2020 and is attending MIT, where she plans to study biological engineering!