Since I was a young girl, I knew I always wanted to be in a STEM career. It started with wanting to be a veterinarian, then an engineer, and now pursuing a career in environmental policy. Women pursuing STEM careers continue to be at a disadvantage. I personally see far more men in my environmental classes than women. The number of women in STEM careers is incredibly disproportionate. It is discouraging to see the numbers of women compared to men in STEM fields. It is also hard to find female role models, which is extremely important to young women’s development. In order to increase diversity throughout STEM fields, we need to encourage young girls and women to pursue their interests.
Support girls that have an interest in STEM
The first step to get girls involved in STEM is to find out if they are interested. Promoting school activities that focus on STEM helped me discover my passions. This can be helpful in any grade of school and even after college. Having regular activities in classrooms or offering STEM classes also encouraged me to pursue my STEM degree. To get more girls and women involved, we have to offer them many different opportunities. It also takes people believing in their aspirations and goals to get them to pursue a degree. I personally had the support of my family and friends in STEM clubs and in pursuing my degree.
Give them a strong female role model and career aspiration
Many people look for someone that looks like them in their prospective careers. In most of the stem classes I am in and the clubs that I joined, I was one of the only women. The number of women of color is even less in the rooms that I have been in. It’s hard to get girls excited in STEM if they don’t see women in scientific fields. I had to find my own role models in professors and women throughout history. I became more motivated to reach my goals after finding women role models who had been in my shoes before. Hopefully as more and more women join STEM fields, there will be more role models for girls to look up to.
Encourage them to join a STEM focused club
One of the ways that I got interested in a science field was joining a STEM focused club in middle school. We had to build a model, write an essay and come up with a project plan. This taught me many different skills that I will use in my future career. It also made me interested in certain processes related to STEM like writing and research. Giving people of all ages opportunities to become a part of a STEM club is important. I went from wanting to be a veterinarian, to realizing that I was interested in engineering. Without a STEM club, I would not be where I am today.
Help guide them towards people/friends aspiring for STEM careers
Throughout my life, I have gravitated towards other people around me that have similar interests. One of my best friends since childhood also became interested in a STEM field after joining a STEM club. She has encouraged me to pursue a STEM career even when I became discouraged. Having people around you with similar interests, can allow you to feel more confident in achieving your goals. Having a sense of community is extremely important as a woman pursuing STEM, because most of the people in the field do not look like us. A support system surrounded by people that understand the importance of a woman in STEM is key to feeling overall welcomed and capable.