Women in STEM: Anne Costolanski, Electrical Engineering

​Anne Costolanski earned her degree in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University and now works as an electrical engineer. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it.

What is your specific area of STEM?
Applied Math/Electrical Engineering

How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? 
I write and test computer programs that model the behavior of radar systems.

What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? 
Enjoying playing with numbers, calculators, or solving math problems.

What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? 
I didn't know anything about my STEM field when I was young. 
My interest in math was sparked by an elementary school teacher, who advanced me from the 2nd grade math group to the 3rd grade math group. Then in 7th grade I had a wonderful pre-algebra teacher who really instilled a love for the subject in me.
 
Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone?
I chose to get a math degree because I'd always loved math.  I ended up being an engineer because I also liked physics, and it was a great combination of math and physics.

What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? 
People I work with travel to interesting places to test radars -- sometimes they visit big navy ships, or travel to Arizona or Alaska.

What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? 
Follow your passion and do what you love, and don't let anyone discourage you!
 
Thank you for contributing, Anne!

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