My Story
When I was young, my house was constantly strewn with broken appliances. From our neighbor’s broken water boilers, microwaves, to laptops, my Dad would take each apart then put them back fixed. As I watched and often helped my Dad fix various household items, I developed an innate curiosity for how things worked, and why they worked. Taking Tech-Ed and Woodshop courses in middle school also further sparked my interest in engineering, and these classes not only taught me to become confident in my ideas and products, but also in myself and my passion for engineering. However, I had often noticed the gender disparities and socio-economic barriers in girls pursuing STEM-related activities. Being a female myself in the STEM field, I understand how daunting it may be at times to pursue engineering-related activities and follow one's passion. With my own experiences in mind, I wanted to make sure that no other girls experience the same challenges I faced in my journey to engineering and science. As such, I frequently serve as Teaching Assistant in TechGirlz workshops and I mentor underprivileged students from North Philadelphia. In addition, I founded the MSC4K organization, through which I have organized a math talk and a virtual STEM competition. My greatest goal as an Ambassador would be to open the doors to engineering to as many girls as possible. I believe that all girls, no matter race, income, or previous interests, have the potential in them to become confident engineers, ready to empower their futures. Furthermore, as an ambassador, I wish to work to dispel commonly held misconceptions about women in engineering.
My Project
The project I have in mind revolves around a series of interviews with women engineers and scientists. Drawing in on my experience as a journalist, I want to share inspiring stories of real women in engineering and other scientific fields.
During my interviews, I will focus on questions about their overall journey in engineering/STEM, their engineering experiences so far, why they love engineering, and how they have encountered and tackled challenges along the way. In order to introduce girls to the widest variety of engineering fields as possible, I will make sure to choose interviewees from diverse fields and backgrounds.
My hope is that these stories will allow girls in my community and beyond to realize that they too can become future engineers. I also want to use this opportunity to answer questions girls might have about future careers in engineering and what that experience is like.
I will maintain a website throughout the year where I will upload all the interviews and any other engineering-related media I create. The website will not only serve as a place for me to track my outreach project, but a place where girls can sign up for future STEM opportunities, read inspiring stories, and submit questions about engineering.
Lastly, I will work towards holding virtual engineering workshops during the year. Workshop topics will include mechanical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, and chemical engineering among others. These free workshops will comprise of PowerPoint presentations, pre-recorded virtual lab tours, female engineering guest speakers, and project activity periods. Throughout the workshop, there will be multiple opportunities to build critical thinking skills as well as confidence and interest in the engineering subject. I believe that the fun and engaging environment of the workshops will help the girls become more excited about engineering and be an effective way to dispel many misconceptions about females in the engineering field.