I’ve always loved arts and crafts. I was the kid in restaurants asking for the coloring sheet, and I am still the kid who sews all her friends a tote bag for their birthday. So when I saw the volunteer position for "Crafternoon,” I immediately joined. The Tierrasanta library is a place for everyone! And so is "Crafternoon," a guided craft for the community every other Monday. We have parents who don’t speak English, kids who have trouble with loud noises or social interactions, and older siblings who could finish the craft in five minutes. They all come to craft, and they all can! Every kid who comes in has different needs, and every kid leaves with a finished craft. One day a student ran in, no older than four or five. His tired grownup followed shortly after as I bent down to greet him. He was a ball of energy and could not have been less interested in sitting down and completing the craft. Nonetheless, I skipped with him over to our prototype. We giggled as he changed his mind four times about his colored paper and picked five googly eyes for the ladybug. We galloped over to a seat where he pretended to throw everything and said, “No, I can’t do it!” whenever I asked him to help on a step. “Yes, you can!” I bantered back, and he giggled and complied. We went back and forth for twenty minutes, but that kid made a ‘ladybug’. It had five eyes, two legs, and was purple, but it was done. I smiled as he skipped away and his grownup came up to me. She whispered, “Thank you so much for sitting down with him. He has autism; he rarely starts and finishes anything.” I nodded and smiled, “Of course, that’s what I’m here for!" and she followed him out. I think that is what I am here for. I want to support the community I am a part of. While being a part of Crafternoon is one of the most memorable activities I have participated in to date, high school activities are nonetheless impactful. From the incredible change that I have made to the women in STEM community to the relationships I have built with my teammates over the years, I feel that the activities I did in high school were incredibly fulfilling. If I could give advice to those following in my footsteps I would tell them to get involved and follow their passions. For everything I have been involved in I am so grateful from the perspectives and experiences that I have gained. It helped me find a purpose, how I want to give back to the people who surround me, and I want to share things that give me joy.

The salmonella was in the chicken! In class we were doing contact tracing of salmonella and I finally figured it out. That was the answer. But when I presented that to my all-boys group, it was turned down. “No, I did all the tests! Look, it is the only food the symptomatic patients all ate!” We submitted the dumb corn chowder and failed. Ever since that moment, I have been trying to find safe spaces for girls in academics. Everyone followed my lead and heard my logic in English class, but not in Biology or Math. It’s not that girls aren’t interested in science or engineering--it is just that they are scared away from it by the time they can pursue a career. The passion is there, someone just needs to help them keep their fire lit as they grow. And that’s what inspired Women in STEM. With my engineering-focused best friend, I co-founded Women in STEM, a club and chapter of the local nonprofit Scientella. Our goal is to build the career skills of girls interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math as well as to provide a place for exploring all areas of STEM in high school. Through Scientella we have completed three research projects with companies Illumina, ResMed, and Microsoft. Upon completion, every girl left knowing more about the subject, from cardiovascular health to Artificial Intelligence, and with confidence in their STEM abilities and speaking skills. Outside of Scientella, we took them to meet professionals in STEM and spark conversation about being women in male-dominated fields. We dive into robotics kits, learn about the chemistry of activating slime, and the polar bonds of our own DIY lava lamps! My club keeps their fire lit, and allows them to clear the way as wildfires in their future. This past year I interned with Scientella as the Director of Mentorships. I was tasked with finding professionals in aligning STEM careers with high school girls studying that field. These pairs are then meant to function as mentor and mentee, set up in Zoom meetings spanning various cities, states, and even countries with students and mentees from San Diego to Raleigh to India. I paired 20 matches in the first month of the school year, surpassing the number of matches made through Scientella the entire previous year. With every young girl and professional I pair, I hope that I am helping more and more girls stick with their STEM aspirations. For what little I have contributed to a field I haven’t even entered yet, I am already seeing the lasting impacts. I will not stop working to build the confidence of young girls just like I was, and am, for the hopes that gender equality will be found in STEM career paths. And I hope when I am established in my career, I can mentor young girls in STEM just as I am being mentored now.