STEM

     I love STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). I have a passion for STEM. This passion has been leading my life for years. It led me to want to be an engineer. It led me to challenge myself in math and science. It led me to take a wide variety of tech courses throughout my high school career. It led me to participate in Science Olympiad, and the go on to coach it. It led me to join FIRST Robotics. It led me to go to an excellent college that will prepare me for engineering in grad school and beyond.

     I have been lucky. I have had many opportunities that have allowed me to pursue my passion for STEM. But that is not true for everyone. Around the world there are kids who don’t have the same chances that I had to get involved in STEM. They don’t have the same support. They may be passionate about STEM but they may never get the chance to explore that passion. This is especially true about girls, who are often stereotyped as not being good at STEM disciplines. This is something I want to change.

     That’s why I chose my picture to be the FIRST Robotics logo.  FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”. The FIRST Robotics organization is all about inspiring kids to love STEM. It strives to give them the support and opportunities they need to gain hands on experience in science and technology. And that’s something that I want to do. That I plan to do. I want to give kids, especially girls, the chance they may not otherwise have to explore and love STEM. So I use FIRST Robotics and particularly its founders as an example for myself, that just a small group of people can positively impact the futures of hundreds of thousands of others.