Excitement for STEM can spark anywhere, at any time; most often it’s the school classroom where girls are first introduced- and summer break is no exception! On a sunny Friday in June, High Tech High Heels members helped bring the classroom to life by attending the SMARTgirls Xtreme STEM Camp at Wylie High School. There, they put on a lively panel discussion about Women in Technology with the 7th, 8th and 9th grade girls. Featuring some of High Tech High Heels brightest members, Jeannette Bennett, Lynn Mortensen, Vicky Rupp, Molly Sing and Hasini Sundaresan, the campers learned each woman’s personal journey to a career in technology. Each woman answered great questions about what it’s like to be an engineer, shared how the professionals got to their current positions, and expressed what they love about engineering and technology.
High Tech High Heels has been a passionate sponsor of SMARTgirls, an organization focused on getting girls interested in, and staying interested in, science and math. They use hands-on STEM activities and guest speakers from an array of STEM professions to engage and encourage girls to peak their interest. Beyond peaking interest, SMARTgirls hopes to enable girls with the resources to become engage confidently in high level math and science courses throughout high school and college. SMARTgirls offers after school activities at all Wylie ISD intermediate schools, Saturday clubs for junior highs, and summer camps on a variety of STEM topics.