Women in STEM

 


As a first generation female in the United States(US) I was not expected to graduate college. I was expected to become a stay at home mom or attend a trade school. This mindset stuck to me. After high school I went to college to be certified as a Dental assistant. However, after my first day of class I knew that dental assisting was not the career for me. I did not like having to deal with body fluids. After that day I changed my mindset. I now had the mindset that I had to succeed to be happy. What equaled happiness to me was to be able to provide for my parents. They have given me so many opportunities by moving to the US and I need to show them that their effort was not in vain. I took it upon myself to dedicate my studies to a high paying career. I transferred my credits to ASU and began my path to joining the movement of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics(STEM).

In college I studied Applied Computing.  My computer science classes were 85% male and 15% female. As I became a senior that number seemed to rise for males and decrease for females. I didn't think much of it during the time. Now looking back, the males would usually be the ones asked to answer all the questions in class. When I got my first computer science job as a programmer my boss questioned if I really wanted to be a programmer. I was confused why he would ask that. He then told me I was the only female he had worked with in 20 years. That took me by surprise. If I am being honest I don't feel like I belong in STEM. Still, I am not giving up because it is what I like to do. The more women in STEM the less we will feel like we don't belong.

Growing up I was not encouraged to pursue STEM at a young age. It was in my 20's when I was told woman can pursue a STEM career. I was encouraged by a tv show called "Good Trouble". One of the main characters is a female engineer activist. Cierra Ramirez's character Mariana Adams Foster is the one that influenced me into STEM. I am so glad I watched the show or I wouldn't be where I am now. I enrolled into ASU because she showed me I could do it. 

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