Each Saturday since the beginning of the second semester, about ten undergraduate female science students have been leading a mentorship program for about thirty local high school girls.
Throughout the four-week program, the young women have a chance to interact with college students, gain experience in the science field, learn how to properly perform laboratory techniques, and become more confident being a woman in science. This year the program is a mixture of new participants as well as previous participants. BC has been sponsoring this program since 2006, and it continues to grow each year.
Many of the undergraduate volunteers major in biology, biochemistry, chemistry or environmental geoscience. Although Boston College does not have an engineering program, many of the young women I have met would excel in the field because of their critical thinking skills and their willingness to solve problems.
We recently had a panel at a luncheon featuring sophomores, juniors, and seniors who were women involved in research on campus. Some of the seniors even had multiple offers at medical schools or prestigious Ph.D. programs. It’s very inspiring to see women have such a passion for a field typically dominated by males. When asked whether gender influenced the way they were treated in labs or through the graduate school application process, many replied that their labs were mostly employed by women or their male counterparts were receiving just as good offers for higher education.
As a freshman biology major, it was so beneficial to me as well to be a volunteer/mentor for these younger girls. I forgot how fun yet stressful high school could be, and it was refreshing to see these girls handling their experiences well. I sincerely hope they continue to follow their passions in science (and attend BC when the time comes).
Sources:
http://www.leekennedy.com/project/boston-college-merkert-hall/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/400468591839249831/