Katy Milne earned her engineering degrees from the Imperial College London and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Research/Manufacturing/Digital Engineering/Measurement and testing How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I check manufacturing parts using technologies like X-ray to check that they have no defects. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Curiosity What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I didn't know anything about my specific STEM field (manufacturing inspection) when I was a child. I was always interested in science, but particularly in space. I used to talk to my Dad, who is a pilot, about science a lot. My parents told me that I could do anything, and never told me that not many girls do Engineering. My school sent me to a summer space school when I was 14. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I wanted to be an astronaut but realised early on that not many people get to go to space. I decided that being someone who built stuff that went to space would be a good backup - so I decided to study Mechanical Engineering. I ended up in my specialism (manufacturing inspection) by accident - but I do get to see loads of cool stuff, and even inspect things that do go to space! What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Inspectors of oil rigs have to scuba dive to check the safety of the structure that is under the sea. I worked on projects to print the largest ever component printed for an aeroplane jet engine. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? I get to work with people. I get to be creative. The work that I do makes peoples' lives better. Thank you for contributing, Katy!
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Johanna Rhodes is a scientist and earned her degree from the University of Warwick (UK). Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Infectious Disease and Genetic Epidemiology How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I look at the genetic code that makes up all living things - particularly the things that cause illnesses in people. This code holds clues about where it has come from, how old it is, and what drugs can be used to treat people who are ill. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Interest in documentaries, asking lots of questions, extracurricular reading. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I was given a book by my GCSE teacher (so I was age 15) about genetics because I was asking lots of questions. That's how I became interested in genetic epidemiology and diseases. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? It just really seemed to interest me, even back at school when we weren't going too far in depth. I liked that the DNA code, made up of only 4 bases, could explain everything. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Lots of travelling - next month, I get to travel to America, Brazil and Israel, all to see people I work with. We normally communicate via email or phone calls, but we will occasionally catch up in person. And there is, of course, time for exploring! I also get invited to give lots of talks all over the world. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? The days of STEM subjects being seen as a 'boys only' career option are over. This job can be what you make it - as creative as your imagination allows, and as analytical as you like. There are endless questions to answer, and if you have a curious mind, STEM will make you very happy. Thank you for contributing, Johanna! Kristine Holloway is a teacher and founder of Code4Girlz (Ontario, Canada). Here she shares a little about her passion for introducing girls to the world of coding, and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Coding/Making How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Code4Girlz is a club that encourages girls and young women to pursue careers and passions in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math (STEAM). Code4Girlz are early adopters and trailblazers. They can often be seen making, coding, designing and co-creating in the large open and bright design workshop space. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Children that enjoy logic puzzles, experimenting, creating, inventing and innovating. Games may include Code-a-Pillar, Scratch Jr., LittleBits, MakeyMakey, RaspberryPi, GoldieBlox, Sphero, Dash and Dot Robots, just to name a few. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I have always been passionate about technology and I wanted to help inspire a new generation of girls to be the same, but ultimately I was inspired by Hadi Partovi, the founder of Hour of Code movement. After a GoogleHangout with Hadi Partovi I was truly bothered by the fact that while girls and women are avid users of technology, they are significantly underrepresented in its creation. I believe strongly that this lack of participation of girls in this ever growing field can have serious consequences for technological innovation, if we let it continue. In learning to code, girls can be empowered to take control of the types of games they want to play and they can begin creating other applications designed specifically for girls and women globally. Code4Girlz was founded to help close the tech gender gap and to encourage young women to be brave, and to create the future we want: a better world for girls and women globally to live in. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? Computers and technology have always been a part of my life. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about technology. Ever since I was a little girl I can recall playing Cabbage Patch on ColecoVision, E.T. on Atari (although I never could figure out how to get him to phone home) and I was one of a few from my generation that was able to play on a Commodore 64 and had access to HAM radio operator equipment. When the Nintendo came out, the whole family got into the car for Christmas vacation in Buffalo, New York. I can recall the excitement of un-boxing Mario and Duck Hunt! In school, I can remember the excitement of Oregon Trail, Number Cruncher, and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? on the Apple computers. Design and technology class was also a favourite of mine. I recall designing a pin hole camera and then processing the black and white film in the dark room. I also made a clock, puzzle and train during middle school. In Family Studies, I learned how to sew on a machine and by hand. At home, I enjoyed learning sign language, drawing blueprints, designing new fashions and inventing new things, such as the world's largest globe, made out of hula-hoops and a hand drawn map taped together and wings cut out of cardboard and tied onto the arms for human flight. More recently, as an adult, I have become passionate about space research. I attended an Educator's Conference at the Canadian Space Agency and Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Girls in coding experience the latest in technology. They are early adopters and trailblazers. They enjoy 3D Printing, RaspberryPi, MakeyMakey, micro:Bit, just to name a few. Many fabulous creations, including new websites, wearables, bedroom and furniture designs, vlogs (video blogs), Pixar-quality animations and videos, websites and new innovative ideas and creations start with coding! What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Be brave, not perfect. Dare to do something different. Dream BIG. Fail Forward. Make EPIC Mistaeks. Thank you for contributing, Kristine! (Follow the cool stuff happening at Code4Girlz on Twitter) Morgan Vickery is pursuing her degree in Computer Science degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Computer Science How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I study how to write instructions that computers can understand, interpret, and use to create programs. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Personally, I always enjoyed puzzles, strategy games, Risk, poker, card games, video games, and all sorts of brain teasers! What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I knew nothing! Nobody in my family was really involved in STEM - I discovered it after I came to college. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I was struggling to find something that I was passionate about. I was always very left-brained but enjoyed the arts, so when I accidentally enrolled myself in an 'Introduction to Programming' course, I felt like a whole new world of academia and creation had been opened up to me! I found computer science to be the perfect balance of logic and inspiration. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? You can make video games, make tools for students with learning/cognitive disabilities, program robots, and help people in other fields make groundbreaking research! What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Those who pursue STEM fields have SO many doors open to them to help people! With a STEM degree, you can truly make a difference in the world around you! Thank you for contributing, Morgan! Heather Crew is pursuing her degree in Computer Science degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Computer Science How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I study how algorithms work and how to create things like games and tools through computers. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Aptitude for problem solving and understanding of patterns. Also, perseverance in the face of difficulty or challenges. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? Nothing! I thought I wanted to work in the humanities before I got to college. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I took an intro to programming class my first semester on campus and fell in love. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Making games, online trackers, and fun ways to communicate with people around the world. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Believe that you can do it, not because anyone is telling you to -- but because you actually can! Thank you for contributing, Heather! Jordan Dodson is pursuing her degree in Computer Science with a minor in Information Systems from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Computer Science and Information Science What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Quick to learn how to use technology, interest in technology customization, interest in how technology works. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? My dad worked in IT and helped me build my first computer. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I liked working with computers. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Make apps and games! What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Keep going even when it seems hard/impossible. Thank you for contributing, Jordan! Taylor Howard earned her degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Statistics, Computer Science How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I analyze numbers and try to identify trends or patterns. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Loving math, solving problems. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I knew there were accountants and mathematicians but not much beyond that with math. I was inspired by NUMB3RS, a television show where the main character is a mathematician. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? Math was my favorite subject in school. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Attend hackathons, go to conferences, get a glimpse of new technology. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Keep trying no matter what! Thank you for contributing, Taylor! Victoria Miller is pursuing her degree in Computer Science and Mathematical Decision Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Business, with concentrations in finance and consulting How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I make programs that do all sorts of cool things such as helping other people have better lives or things that help others have fun! What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Strategy games What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I realized I was really good at math and loved it. It made a lot of sense to me and I was the best in my class at it so it made me feel good about myself. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I took computer science as a prerequisite for my major and realized it was something I truly enjoyed. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? I made a Chrome extension that helps disabled people that don't have full function of their hands use Facebook. Others have done things like create their own servers for Minecraft. Some people have done artificial intelligence to make software more like humans! What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Be brave! Perfection is not the goal. Struggling is going to happen, and trial and error is what makes some of the world's best things! I always struggle which makes me feel even better when I finally get it. It's a great reward! Thank you for contributing, Victoria! Lisa Dunleavy earned her degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Business, with concentrations in finance and consulting How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? A field where you use your skill set in order to solve problems. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field?
What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? My older brother really liked math and my whole family does business, so focusing on math homework was encouraged in my house. I also had very inspirational and great math teachers. They would make math relatable to every day life while making it fun. Imagine saying that - math is fun (my teacher had a poster that literally said that in the classroom). Having a great math teacher makes all of the difference. My teacher knew most people when they grew up were scared of fractions, so she did an exercise where we all screamed for 2 minutes about fractions. This made it fun, and I loved fractions after that. Using analogies like "you can't break up the brother and sister" would help as well. I'm not going to lie, anything computer-related freaked me out. It wasn't until college when I took a computer science class that I became less freaked out. I wish I had learned more about it when I was younger. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I think it was just the teachers I had that made math fun. Then I started getting involved with Mu Alpha Theta (math competitions) with my friends which were a ton of fun! I think being at a certain school and where it's fun and cool to "be nerdy" is awesome. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Consulting and finance technically don't really fall under "STEM", but I've had really great opportunities in those areas. Accounting may fall under STEM. With audit (there's not really a cool way to put this) it's making sure that companies report their finances correctly in order to prevent fraud or misrepresentation to people who are invested in their company. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Pursuing a career in STEM will allow you to shape the future of the world we live in. It allows you to come up with creative solutions to the world's problems and help others. Thank you for contributing, Lisa! Jill Gostin earned her Master’s in Mathematics from Georgia Tech. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Math/Computer Science/Applied Math How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I analyze data and apply mathematical techniques to understand the data. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? The ability to focus, problem solving, curiosity. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? When I was in kindergarten, my oldest sister was studying computer science in college (and would bring home punch cards for me to play with). I was already doing and enjoying math problems for fun, so my parents encouraged me by buying me math work books. Teachers later saw my aptitude and continued to encourage me to work math and logic problems. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I was told I was good at it, so I decided to major in math in college. There, I took classes that gave us real-world problems to solve mathematically -- I saw real applications of math, that could impact the world! I was inspired to continue studying. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Watch the movie, Hidden Figures, for one example of "cool" stuff that mathematicians can do. Mathematicians help solve the world's problems with food/water shortages, traffic congestion, the spread of disease. We help keep us safe by contributing to missile tracking, and helping to develop sensors to detect threats around us. At the basis of all technology is mathematics. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? The best way to positively impact humanity, to create a better world for everyone, is through technology -- the STEM fields. Thank you for contributing, Jill! Annie Jones-Wyatt earned her Ph.D. and Master’s in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, and her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I use science and math to design airplanes and the technology that goes inside them. Aerospace engineers make decisions about the shape of the wings, how high and how fast they can fly, and how they interact with other air and ground vehicles. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Curiosity about the natural world - why is the sky blue, etc.; enjoying building/taking apart things, or arts & crafts (design). Constantly asking questions, even if you annoy your parents (I'm channeling my younger self here). What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? My parents were always encouraging; we regularly visited science museums, children's museums, went to air shows, and watched documentaries/history programs. My father is a scientist, and my mother is an accountant (good at math). I had a very influential high school physics teacher who helped me towards the path of physics/mechanical engineering in undergrad. I didn't really know about the various engineering disciplines until I reached college; until then, my understanding was that it was all pure physics/math, even though I was exposed to scientists all around. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I was always interested in science of some sort. In elementary school I wanted to be an archaeologist or paleontologist from reading National Geographic. I volunteered at a nature center, so in middle and early high school I wanted to be an environmental biologist. When I did high school physics and robotics, I shifted towards mechanical engineering, and towards the end of undergrad decided I wanted to pursue a postgraduate degree in aerospace engineering. I grew up around NASA but it wasn't until 7 years after we moved away from Houston that I really dove into aerospace engineering. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? In an internship, I got to work on parts for the International Space Station. In another internship, I did mechanical engineering work for the James Webb Space Telescope. Since then it's been more nuanced work, but in general, aerospace engineers design airplanes, helicopters, and rockets, which I think is pretty darn cool! What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Always ask questions, learn about the physical laws governing the universe around you, and then draw/sculpt/design/build your own inventions and creations! Thank you for contributing, Annie! Ifigeneia Metaxa earned her doctorate and undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Chemical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I coordinate everything that happens in research and development projects, factories, organise multi-national teams, work in a challenging and inspiring environment. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Do you like construction toys? Did you enjoy looking through the microscope? Do you get that thrill when you got the right answer in math? What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? My father encouraged me to play with "boy toys", so toys like Legos, Playmobil and other construction and battle toys. All of this alongside with more "girl toys". So, avoid labels! A teacher who loved chemistry inspired me to look into this poetic world (yes, chemistry). Also, everyone who told me that chemical engineering was not for girls, encouraged me to prove them wrong! Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I was inspired by teachers, I asked women of the field about their experiences (please do that!). I wanted to choose a profession that was versatile and would offer more job opportunities. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Want to turn used cooking oil to fuel? How about playing with reaaaally small (nano) diamonds? Are you in to mobile app development? Do you want to work with cool technologies, such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Robots interacting with humans, voice to text, blockchain (behind bitcoin), decision support systems, semantics? It gets exciting! What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Find what you are passionate about and go for it! STEM is not difficult, it is exciting and rewarding. You just need to learn the way to approach this wonderful world. Oh, and yes, it is cool! Thank you for contributing, Ifigeneia! Amanda Belding is completing her engineering physics degree, with a concentration in mechanical engineering, from the Ohio State University. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Engineering Physics/Mechanical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Engineering Physics is about a deeper understanding of the engineering disciple you choose to focus on. I focused on mechanical engineering, when I learned how to build and design moving structures that solve a problem. In engineering you learn the equations for building and designing parts, in engineering physics, you learn why those equations work. The fundamentals are taught and focused on so that you can apply them to any problem you face. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Problem solving, puzzles, playing with legos, taking apart systems to try to figure out how they work, learning about cars or bikes and how they are built. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I loved math, physics, and taking apart things when they broke to attempt to fix them. From that my parents and teachers suggested looking at engineering and I went to engineering camp to get a better idea of what each discipline had to offer. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I choose mechanical engineering because I really liked car engines. I found them fascinating and I wanted to understand how they worked. As I went through courses though I became frustrated when teachers would just hand us equations and expect us to accept them so I added physics to my disciple to get a deeper, fundamental understanding. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? I work on many projects. Some of the really cool ones include: design test structures for research on quantum computing and design mechanical components that are being sent out into space to collect weather data. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Just because one person may think you aren't smart enough does not mean you need to give up. Having a big brain is only part of what makes a great engineer. The other half is being a hard and passionate worker. If you enjoy learning something, never stop. Thank you for contributing, Amanda! Katie Benner earned her civil engineering degree from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Civil Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I get to solve puzzles every day. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? I enjoyed all building toys like Legos, Lincoln Logs, K'nex, but I also liked dolls. I preferred building houses and things for my dolls rather than use actual doll houses. Puzzles and games have always been a joy as well. Anything with problem solving (even video games) may show an aptitude for STEM. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I didn't think about becoming an engineer until high school. For ages I thought I'd be an architect. My parents provided me building toys as a child. I had a natural aptitude for math, so my teachers put me in higher math classes since elementary school. And my parents heard about Excel, which was a one day per week accelerated learning class that I attended when I was in 5th and 6th grade. In 5th grade we focused a lot on building structures out of newspaper and bridges that had to carry load from Popsicle sticks. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I've always been interested in architecture, but as much as I love art, I'm not a great artist. I figured the math side of architecture - structural engineering - would be a better fit. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Engineers are needed throughout the world. I'm currently living in New Zealand because of my career. You can design Legos or become an Imagineer for Disney or develop games or send someone to Mars. You can construct something with your own hands or design something and watch it get created. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? When you're in the STEM field you are only limited by your imagination. If something doesn't exist - you can create it. STEM jobs can take you anywhere in the world and even out into space. There are still so many thing that haven't yet been discovered or explained or utilized. With STEM you can build the world you want to live in. Thank you for contributing, Katie! Kathy Silver earned her engineering degree from Georgia Tech. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it.
What is your specific area of STEM? Materials Science and Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? A materials engineer is someone who creates new materials or discovers new uses for old material. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Any child is capable of an aptitude for math/science and we should assume all young children (particularly girls) have the ability to go into STEM fields. The bigger challenge (in my opinion) is convincing children of non-STEM parents that they are capable. Where I work, I am one of only a half dozen engineers who does not have at least one parent in a STEM career and I'm the only employee whose parents do not have college degrees. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I didn't know much, though I recall a female ceramics engineer who came to talk on a career day that left an impact. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? As mentioned above, I remember the ceramics engineer and decided to follow "what I know". What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on?
What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Read, do well at school and attend STEM camps. Thank you for contributing, Kathy! |
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