Since then, I have been led, challenged and encouraged by Ms. Miller and some other fabulous teachers who have shown me:
1. How science and math are intertwined and integrated
2. That engineering is simply the application of science and math to solve “real world” problems
3. All three of these disciplines influence (and are influenced by) technology.
As my interest in the STEM subjects increased, I wondered why I did not discover my passion until around the age of 15. And, I realized that until Ms. Miller – I didn’t have any inspiring, female role models. I didn’t really believe that girls and women could enjoy and work in these fields because I didn’t know of any successfully doing it.
I decided to make a difference – to help younger girls learn about the magic of STEM – but I wasn’t sure how.
I began researching and discovered that there were women doing amazing things right here in Southern California. They were quietly (in most cases) working away at:
– world-class institutions like Caltech, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC)
– cutting edge research centers like Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and established tech incubators like Idealab
– distinguished corporations like Parsons, Jacobs Engineering, Amgen & Electronic Arts
I realized that these women were trailblazers and probably didn’t have many female role models either. And, that they would probably be delighted to share their stories and encourage young girls and other women to follow in their footsteps.
I decided to harness the power of technology and various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to share their stories with girls and young women all over the globe.
And, STEM Sisterhood was born…