Why I do what I do

Being a woman in STEM is hard - but let's be real - being ANYBODY in STEM is HARD.

About once a week I ask myself if I can really do this - if I can pass my exams, get my degree, actually make a career of this very, very confusing subject that quite frankly, I am not the best at.

But at the end of the day, I am not doing this because I have to. I am not in STEM because of the job or because of the fancy degree or anything else other than the fact that I love it.

I have loved math from an early age in life. I was that weird 7 year old who said math was her favorite subject. I was that only sophomore in her AP Statistics class who actually studied and answered questions in class. My passion grew and I was that girl who found programming interesting not because of the applications, but because of the theory behind it.

I was THAT girl, and I have always loved being THAT girl.

I was told that boys would be better at math and science because that's just how nature made it. I heard it throughout my life, and it's true that most of my competition in school were boys rather than fellow girls. But that didn't mean I couldn't compete. I am a female in STEM because I can be and because I want to be. If you are a female reading this, who is not a member of the STEM community because it is your CHOICE, because you are pursuing something else that you are passionate about - I applaud you.

But if you are not a member of the STEM community because you feel like you can't be or shouldn't be, know that that will never be true.

I push myself to continue, for my own love, and for the girls that will follow in my footsteps. I want THOSE girls, those 7 year old girls who think that science and math can change their lives, to continue on and know that they can be what they want to be. Because the boys may be good at math and science, but that never means girls can't compete.

And that is why I do, what I do.