STEM Personal Statement

My desire to become a STEM professional has been deeply ingrained in my mind since I was a young child. I always knew that I had to attend college and become the first female STEM professional in my large Latino family. This made sense to me from an early age, since I excelled in math and science and had access to education that taught me more about potential occupations. I have always known that I wanted to work in the field of biomedical engineering, and now that I have graduated and am working as a tutor at the single-gender high school where I previously attended, it is imperative for me to create an environment where young girls can grow their interest in fields like mine. When considering issues like the wage gap between women and men in STEM careers, it is crucial that girls become interested in these subjects at a young age to combat these gender inequalities. My role as a math and science tutor has given me an opportunity to connect with young female students and engage them in conversation that goes beyond the content taught in their classes. My main goal is to support them in (overcoming their lack of self-assurance) (growing their confidence) and turn them into enthusiastic learners who are not intimidated by difficult material. When girls feel incompetent in these classes, it can often deter them from these subjects altogether. By being

A particular moment that stood out to me was when these two students described that they would be using chemistry to test the vitamin c levels in fruits from Canada to prevent scurvy. They could have chosen a simple science fair experiment, but they decided to challenge themselves. Their passion for their experiment was infectious, many of their peers would stop and ask them questions and showed interest in the topic. Seeing these young girls possess a love for science should be highly encouraged behavior amongst girls of all