Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (STEM)

STEM Education is an important aspect of the education as it relates to the future of young girls and especially women of color. Many years ago, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education were all different fields but now, they are combined in one acronym to describe the similarities that exist between them. In this article, I would like to describe my personal obstacles in learning mathematics, ways to help young ladies overcome their own obstacles, and challenges in the future and reasons why more young ladies should pursue STEM Education in the next 10/20/50 years.

Personal Struggles

In 1995, I was a seventh grader at Coloma Middle School. I was new to this school as I was a transfer student from a low-performing school. Coloma was a high-performing school district so the transition was very difficult. I struggled the most in my mathematics courses because I had not established all of the sign rules and the basic computation that was involved with solving algebra problems in class. As each day went by, I became more and more discouraged with my math scores. There were many days when I would cry because I wanted to learn the subject like everyone else but I do not think that I was ready for the process of catching up to other students. Finally, I had a conversation with my parents and they told me that I would need tutoring so that I could get better grades. So each morning, my Dad woke me up and he took me to school early so that I could get tutoring. I also did extra work at home so that I could improve my score. After my first year, I received a C as my final grade. But at least the C was better than a D. So in August of 1996, I started the new school year again with tutoring each morning. As I went through each lesson, I started to understand math more. At night, I was able to do my homework with ease. I was happy that my scores were finally coming up. At the end of my second year at Coloma Middle, I ended out the school year with a B as my final grade. I am thankful for my personal struggles because I had no idea that one day, I would become a Mathematician that would teach other students that struggle with mathematics. I am glad that I went through this experience because it gave me an appreciation of what other students go through when they are having trouble understanding their coursework.

Ways to help other ladies overcome their own obstacles

I have compiled a list of ways that can help ladies as they go further into their studies:

• Be willing to ask for help on the onset of issues. Too many ladies wait until the last minute to ask for help and by that time, it is too late. Ask early and ask questions often.
• Find other people that you can study with. It is preferred that you study with people who know as much or more than what you know.
• Study every day. As time goes on, the workload will get harder. Study each day as every concept builds on previously learned information.
• Remove procrastination from your mind. Do not hold off on what can be done today. You never know what you will need to do tomorrow so it is best to do the work today.
• Find a tutoring center. The people in the tutoring center know more than you so they are the people that you should go to so that you can get a better understanding of your work.
• Put your pride aside. If you have issues in any area, admit it and find ways to address it as soon as possible.
• Find a mentor. If you want to work in a certain career in the future, it is best to find a mentor that is already working in that field. It is helpful to work alongside someone who is proficient in the field and they can give you tips on being successful in the present and in the future.

Challenges that lie ahead for women in the STEM fields

Right now, it is essential to look at the STEM fields as the future draws closer. The most recent career and technical education statistics at the secondary level from the U.S. Department of Education are from 2005, and they show very low numbers of female students in STEM (Milgram, 2011). In the past, women were not always given the opportunity to pursue careers in the sciences. In the early and mid-1900’s, most women were stay at home mothers while their husbands worked in various industries. Over time, these women have taken a stronger interest in their education and in the STEM fields. Having more women in the picture will not only help women themselves, it will also help society benefit from their expertise--whether it's ensuring women are included in clinical trials for medical research or developing a prosthetic knee that works better for women (Milgram, 2011). Also, more women in the STEM fields will add a unique perspective on the plight of women and ways that they are working to increase the awareness of the female voice in STEM. In the next 10/20/50 years, it is essential to increase the amount of women in STEM fields.  There are seven organizations that are positioned to increase the amount of women in STEM. These organizations are:

• 1. National Girls Collaborative Project
• 2. National Math and Science Initiative
• 3. Women in Engineering Proactive Network
• 4. Million Women Mentors
• 5. American Association of University Women
• 6. Scientista
• 7. Association for Women in Science

Overall, these organizations were started to bring more women into STEM fields. I am glad that these organizations will work hard to make sure that women have more opportunities in STEM fields in the future. In closing, women in STEM fields are needed but it is helpful to have the support of the White House as this initiative goes forward.

“One of the things that I really strongly believe in is that we need to have more girls interested in math, science, and engineering. We’ve got half the population that is way underrepresented in those fields and that means that we’ve got a whole bunch of talent…not being encouraged the way they need to.”

-- President Barack Obama, February 2013

   Office of Science and Technology Policy

References

Milgram, D. (2011). How to Recruit Women and Girls to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Classroom. Technology and Engineering Teacher, 71(3), 4-11.

Office of Science and Technology Policy (2016). Women in STEM. Retrieved on May 9, 2016 from https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/women.