Nici:
My first year in school I was a nursing major. Now, there were some men in my major, but the majority were female. I was surrounded by smart and confident women every single day. The people I met through nursing were wonderful but I soon realized it wasn’t the major for me. I decided to pursue something I had been passionate about since a young age, teaching. After some soul searching, I chose to become a high school math teacher. Currently I am majoring in mathematics and secondary education in mathematics with a minor is statistics. I do love my major, it’s exciting, challenging, and inspiring. However, I never anticipated the change in atmosphere that came along with switching to a male dominated field.
My school already is majority male, then when you add in a STEM major it’s a sausage party. Some may think that being surrounded by men might be fun, but trust me it is not. Especially when you are trying to build a career. It can even be extremely difficult at times because it can feel like no one takes me seriously or listens to what I have to say. Somedays I am too loud in class, somedays I am too quiet… there never really seems to be a right answer. Sometimes, I even find myself questioning my ability to succeed in mathematics because I am a female.
Women only makeup about 29% of the STEM field. It’s a problem that starts from birth. We live in a society where women are growing up to want to be princesses rather than scientist, where looks are more important than grades. Acceptance often overrides potential. In school, I certainly do not remember learning about famous female mathematicians and scientist. It is extremely hard to be motivated by a field you are not represented in. Women have the potential to do anything they want, I strongly believe that. I understand it can be difficult when movies, books and the media portrays us as dumb and conceited. The only way to prove everyone wrong is to pursue careers that push boundaries. Surround yourself by wonderful role models. The female math faculty at Behrend are beyond inspiring and encourage me to persevere when times get hard. Take risks and do whatever makes you happy. Don’t let no man, teacher, movie, or speck of air tell you how to live your life. This world is held together by strong women, don’t forget it.
“Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. It’s about where we are and where we’re going.”
Andrea:
My first experiences within my Engineering classes weren’t too pleasant -at least the ones I had here in the US. It was odd; back home, Engineering is not a major considered for men only, in fact, half of my high school class wanted and ended up being engineers. My mom is an engineer, my sister is an engineer, my aunts, cousins, the list goes on. So, naturally, you could imagine my surprise when I learned that STEM majors are usually seen as male-prominent. Not only that, female Engineering students weren’t expected to be “girly”. Regardless, I wasn’t going to let my gender or the fact that I love makeup determine my future on my career, so if I’m being completely honest, it never bothered me. That being said, I did have a few not-so-pleasant encounters during my engineering days, like the day one of my classmates told me I didn’t look like “an engineering student” because I “looked too put together”, or the day a professor insinuated that maybe if I didn’t take as long doing my makeup, I would’ve had more time to study…
I know.
However, let me assure you these were rare instances and if you’re reading this and you’re currently thinking about either choosing a STEM major or staying in it, all I can say is do whatever will make you happy. I like being an engineer, not because of the degree or because of what my family says, but because when I see what I want to do with my future and how I want to help others, Engineering is the major for me.
I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been a smooth ride. Any of my friends and family can attest to the fact that there were nights and weeks where it all seemed like too much, but at the end of the day, every major will have its bumps and hard classes. But it’s honestly all worth it. All that really matters is the fact that I’m passionate about my future and my major is not only going to help me achieve my professional goals, but it’ll make me happy. That’s the key!
Not gonna lie, though. It does feel pretty freaking sweet to know that I won’t ever have to take another physics class ever again.