Building Future STEM Leaders by Thalia

Building Future STEM Leaders by Thalia - October 2016 Scholarship Essay

If roles were reversed and I was the teacher, the academic subject that I would teach is Computer Science for various reasons. I would teach Computer Science because I want to encourage all students and especially young ladies to go into a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) related career. Currently, there is a low percentage of girls who pursue a STEM related career or who major in a field that has to do with STEM, and I would like to change that. For instance, at first, I was not interested in a STEM related career until I was encouraged to be a part of a program called the Femineers during my underclassman years at my high school. The Femineers program started with a group of 24 females that collaborated with Cal Poly Pomona for a three-year merit scholarship making engineering projects. Getting the chance to pass on what I learned and experienced to other people will give them an insight and a well-developed view of what a STEM field can look like. Computer Science is the perfect academic subject for me to teach because it is a fun and rigorous class for students to take.
Teaching Computer Science would allow me to experience the joy of making a difference in students’ lives. I would be making a difference by opening the doors and introducing students to the content of Computer Science. As the teacher, I would encourage both girls and boys to take the risk of taking a new and different class that is generally not offered on a high school campus. I would broaden their minds and maybe even lead them to pursuing a career in the STEM field. This academic subject allows for a student to be creative and spontaneous when designing either a website or robot to name a few. Teaching Computer Science would give me the satisfaction of knowing that students’ believe in themselves to accomplish anything if they set their mind to it. Not to mention, I would have the opportunity to tell my students my story of how I took a risk and was actually bullied for being interested in Engineering as a female and how I actually ended up doing very well in these advanced, STEM related courses.
Furthermore, teaching Computer Science would give me the chance to continue to be a lifelong learner. I would be a lifelong learner teaching Computer Science because technology is always improving and getting better, so I would get the opportunity to continue learning about a subject that I am passionate about. Then, I will be able to pass on my knowledge and mastery of new concepts to my students and always improve my curriculum in order to improve my students’ level of learning.
Lastly, I would have the ability to influence many young people to take on a challenging career by entering into the STEM field. Getting the opportunity to inspire many students, especially young ladies, to get interested in majoring in a STEM career would be very satisfying and rewarding for me. I would be able to share my personal experiences and provide encouragement for all of my students to never give up because I never gave up even when there were many obstacles in my way. My students’ experience with me would provide them the tools needed to not be afraid to take on new and challenging risks that they will actually end up enjoying. In conclusion, this is why I would teach Computer Science if the roles were reversed.