Code Catalyst: A Quest for Equality in STEM, Crafting a Future Where Women Shape the Binary World by Hanna

Code Catalyst: A Quest for Equality in STEM, Crafting a Future Where Women Shape the Binary World by Hanna - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

My desire and motivation to work in STEM is in part due to how disheartening it is to see female representation, as we currently hold only 18% of bachelor’s degrees in computer science. My father, who holds a Ph. D. in material science engineering, saw my love for interacting with people and trying to work out problems through the puzzles and logic games I played for hours on end, such as sudoku and puzzling. He recognized how my talents would make a STEM career fulfilling. He encouraged me to learn more and showed me how certain subjects would let me explore the world and solve the “why” and “how” behind things. Through interesting videos and scientific articles he showed me more about different STEM related subjects and their real-world applications. He pushed me to use my skills in problem solving and human relations in a STEM related subject to achieve my goal of helping people globally, to advance scientific research and identify new problems that society is harmed by. I was also interested in the diverse career paths like programming, data science, or data analytics. My father encouraged me to take a STEM class of my choosing and I selected computer science after meeting one of the teachers who enticed me by saying my participation could encourage other women to follow suit.

Once I had decided to take Computer Science classes, I was shocked by the ratio of males to females as my STEM classes, including Computer Science constantly had more males. This led to a feeling of uncertainty as I would be excluded from group projects or not taken seriously when answering or asking a question. I turned to my father for guidance, and he told me that although I had these doubts about my abilities, it didn’t mean I couldn’t achieve the same things; he also said to prove them wrong and not be restricted by what others thought I had to be.

Additionally, my teacher’s enthusiasm made me feel confident in my abilities. He encouraged every student to not only participate fully in classes by creating engaging lesson plans but also work outside of the classroom by doing extra practice or creating independent challenges beyond the scope of his assignments. He hosted quiz bowl tournaments after school to test us on our knowledge on Computer Science and supported those having difficulty through patience and kindness. He gave his students the ability to fix problems they were having through these tournaments, which led to a trust built between him and I, allowing me to ask more questions and participate more in class.

My values of courage, compassion, and the ability to grow have led me to strive for things hard to obtain but worth it. I would love to learn from all different backgrounds and experiences offered in STEM. I want my work to have an impact on society, such as using my computer science knowledge to teach minorities and young girls who want to pursue Computer Science the basics of the subject so they can pave their own path. This way, the narrative of women in STEM can be changed, allowing intelligent minds to work on ways to help our society. Not only do I feel that I can individually impart change, but I hope that I can inspire others to continue to follow their own passions for STEM. I hope to pass on all I’ve learned from my teacher to anyone willing to learn, regardless if they initially struggle to adapt. I hope to make an impact on the people who are dismissed or ignored and feel as if they cannot succeed.