The low number of women in STEM is still a problem that needs to be addressed. Since 1970, the number of women in STEM increased to 27% in 2019; however, men still dominated 73% of the STEM workforce (Christnacht & Martinez, 2021). ACL’s Women in STEM club’s mission is to inspire young girls in our community to pursue STEM fields, teach and mentor, and network with peers and professionals in STEM. 

The club is sponsored by guidance counselor Mrs. Burgess and led by Academy of Engineering and Technology students Divya Sharma (President), Shreya Paliwal (Director of Partnership), Riya Krishna (Director of Outreach), and Kundana Parupalli (Director of Events). President Divya Sharma stated that their inspiration to start the club was “to create a community through which [they] could discuss experiences, share opportunities, and empower others”. “We wanted to impact our community and inspire younger girls to continue to build on their interest in STEM, as well as introduce them to new concepts,” she added.

Women in STEM holds their club meetings every two weeks. Typically, during the meetings, members will learn of new STEM experience-based opportunities and then branch off to collaborate in one of the three sections that comprise the club: Outreach, Partnership, and Events. Members that are part of the club’s Outreach effort help run the club’s social media, find touring and shadowing opportunities at local companies, come up with networking ideas, and connect with new and younger members. The Partnerships committee coordinates long-term partnerships with local companies in order to expose members to more STEM experiences and helps plan events with their partners. Women in STEM has international and local partnerships such as the Association of Women in Mathematics and Hillsboro Charter Academy. The Events committee is also responsible for organizing and planning events. Past events include a trip to Capitol Hill to advocate for STEM-related bills, cybersecurity seminars, and a Congress Christmas party, where club members were able to network with Congress members, professors, and STEM leaders. “These events have taught us so much more about the discrepancies and gender biases in the STEM fields, and inspired us to make bigger impacts,” Sharma said. 

Due to the pandemic, the club has primarily switched to virtual events and workshops. Yet, club members have still maintained their enthusiasm and effort to carry out the club’s mission. 

The Academies of Loudoun is proud of the innovative work the Women in STEM club is doing and eager to hear of future club events. 

To learn more about the club, you can follow their instagram, @womeninstem_acl. 

 

written by Tryphena Pilli

edited by Keerthi Selvam and Saanvi Gutta

 

References:

Christnacht, C. & Martinez, A. (2021, January 26). Women Are Nearly Half of U.S. Workforce but Only 27% of STEM Workers. Census. 

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/01/women-making-gains-in-stem-occupations-but-still-underrepresented.html#:~:text=Women%20Make%20Gains%20in%20Some,up%2048%25%20of%20all%20workers.

Sharma, D. (2021, May 5). Personal interview [Email].