Photo by Megan Rohrbach
Despite making up 47 percent of the workforce, women only account for 24 percent of STEM jobs, as of 2015. “STEM” stands for science, technology, engineering and math. Women work diligently to close the gap and get women more involved in the STEM workforce.
A student at the University of Kentucky works meticulously every day to make her own strides in the STEM field.
Junior biology and neuroscience major, Katelyn Einloth, 21, looks at each day as one step closer to reaching her goal. Einloth wants to become a M.D.-Ph.D. in neuroscience or pharmacology once she graduates. However, her love for science did not start at an early age.
“Remember when we had to learn about clouds in the third grade? I hated that,” she said. “I didn’t like learning about those early science topics.”
However, her opinion would later change once she reached high school biology.
“My love for science really began once I took biology. I realized the human body was fascinating.”
Einloth recognizes that her desired field of study is male-dominated, but she is determined to not let that discourage her. She wishes girls were taught at a younger age that they too can become involved in the science world.
“More women were accepted into medical school than men in 2017,” she said. “But I think we need to talk to girls at an earlier age. In elementary school, no one came and talked about how women can become engineers and scientists.”
Growing up, Einloth found an idol in Rosalind Franklin. She was a chemist who discovered that DNA was a double helix, but she was not credited for the discovery.
As Einloth begins to wind down her undergraduate years, she took time to reflect on her the classes she has taken so far. Her favorite is neurobiology, which is a class that studies disorders involving the spinal cord and the brain.
Classes like neuroscience and genetics can become stressful and tiresome, but Einloth relies on a few tricks to get her through the day.
“I usually make a few cups of coffee and take short breaks to make food, take a power nap or watch an episode of Family Guy.”
Einloth understands the sexism and struggles she might face as she continues her career in STEM, but she will not be deterred. She has a message for the young girls in the world who aspire to work in the STEM field one day.
“Don’t be discouraged when a man tells you that it’s still a man’s world. Don’t let toxic people discourage you from reaching your goals.”
Einloth is scheduled to graduate from the University of Kentucky in December 2018.