table of contents INTRO & CLOSURE 03
SOCIAL MEDIA + EDITOR'S LETTER
SCIENCE 33
HOW HUMANS ARE DESTROYING THE EARTH
05
MEET THE TEAM + TEAM HIGHLIGHT
09
PARTNERS
59
FINAL NOTE
62
TECHNOLOGY 35
GIRLBOSSTECH INTERVIEW
36
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WOMEN IN TECH
40
JUSTINA CHUA INTERVIEW
APPLY FOR ISSUE THREE
STEAM: GENERAL 11
WOMEN NOW AND THEN
15
STEAM ADVICE
17
RESOURCES FOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS
ENGINEERING 43
MY STORY OF GENDER IDENTIFYING AND CONFIDENCE IN ENGINEERING
TO PURSUE STEAM
47
BONNIE LIBERMAN CZUKOSKI - GBT COLLABORATION
19
STEAM AND THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY
23
MIDDLE SCHOOL
CREATIVE WRITING 28
POTENTIAL IN STEAM
29
UNITY IN DIVERSITY
31
KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR
ART 49
WHY WE INCLUDE ART
53
MEET LARA PALOMBI
MATH 57
WHY STUDY MATHEMATICS
LAYOUT BY ABBY LIANG COVER BY ALAINAH CABRADILLA 1 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
if you_are_interested_in_something == true: print("pursue it! Even if you think it’s late in the game") print(“The community you will join will make it worthwhile.”)
Here is Issue Two of Girl Genius Magazine. We hope to make you feel that you are an integral part of our community.
Join our online community today!
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editor's note JOINING MAKE
IT
THE
COMMUNITY
WILL
WORTHWILE
Three weeks before our first intra-club
It was the day of competition and all of us
competition, I joined my school’s robotics
were frantically working on finishing, some
team. I don’t necessarily know what I was thinking, participating in a competition against twelve other teams, despite only having built one robot by following a
starting, their bots. Bots began breaking down, code was failing, but it was all good, the competition had started and people were here to see what we could do. They were here to see what this
simple instruction manual.. And it was May, the end of the year. Those kids were good.
But that didn’t stop me from joining
community I’ve joined is capable of.
What
this community that I’ve been accepted to, can do.
and I’m happy it didn’t. “Let’s do this team! Let’s do this.”
3 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE LAYOUT BY SHIVALI GULATI
One thing I learned from starting Girl Genius Magazine was trusting others to help you accomplish your vision and I’m very happy to be working with girls who are motivated and believe in the message we are establishing with our magazine.
shivali gulati ChangemakersZ interview
4 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE LAYOUT BY SHIVALI GULATI
ANDREA GONZALEZ ISSUE || TEAM HIGHLIGHT
From Palm Springs, Florida, Andrea is
to showcase Girl Genius and our amazing cause and opportunities we have. I’m helping Girl Genius and other organizations grow through partnerships (which I love so much!). I’m dedicated to sharing Girl Genius Magazine to girls around the world who are interested in STEAM through these partnerships and social media opportunities.
the Director Of Partnerships at Girl Genius Magazine.
She is interested in
Machine Learning, Community Outreach, K-Pop, and STEAM.
What you’ve done for Girl Genius?
What does community mean to you? Community, to me, is the ability to interact with those close to you and have a supportive circle. No matter what you’re interested in, a community will
When I first joined Girl Genius Magazine, I was an editor. Soon afterwards, I wanted to be a part of growing and marketing Girl Genius and
support and encourage through your life, goals, and challenges. Community, to me, is also a family who will always have each other’s backs.
our goals. I’ve become a social media manager and the Director of Partnerships and Connections. I’m able
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LAYOUT BY SHIVALI GULATI
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G I R L
G E N I U S
M A G A Z I N E
IZZY LAPIDUS ISSUE || TEAM HIGHLIGHT What you’ve done for Girl Genius? Ever since I first joined GG towards the beginning of this year, I have been incredibly passionate about our cause. I go to a performing arts school in New York City, LaGuardia, which I love, but that lacks STEAM opportunities. Towards the beginning of my work on GG, I focused on Layout Design and Social Media Management. As Director of Writing, I used my keen organization skills to create multitudes of different spreadsheets for assigning tasks, and sent out detailed emails for each and every assignment. I introduced the concept of ‘joint-article writing’ to GG, which increased team building skills, as members of our Writing Team from all across the world collaborated on articles.
What does community mean to you? Community means working for the sake of your team. Community is supporting those around you, and encouraging others to dive deeper into their passions, set the highest of standards for themselves, and pursue their dreams. A community’s job is to give you a shoulder to lean on and the motivation to propel yourself forward. LAYOUT BY SHIVALI GULATI
the creators EDITORS
WRITERS Director: Izzy Lapidus Shivali Gulati Annika Agarwal Esther Duong Sarah Meredith Anaya Patel Billiejean Staggs Carolina Andrade Caroline Skwara Chaitrali Padhye Chiffon Nguyen Chinmayi Balusu Cyra Paladini Emma Quinn Eve O’Leary Mullock Hailey Espinosa Hailey Jay Harshita Singh Hope Levin Ishika Kohli Karen Huynh Lexie Peltola Maddie Sullivan Madina Rain Maha Rahman Marturia Yami Michelle Sun Rajvee Patel
BLOGGERS
Director: Esther Duong
Director: Annika Agarwal
Andrea Gonzalez
Aarushi Choudhary
Athena Yao
Anum Ahmad
Abby Liang
Billiejean Staggs
Adriana Midkiff
Carolina Robledo Velini De
Agnes Mar
Andrade
Anna Xia
Cassie Areff
Audrey Kim
Cyra Paladini
Caroline Skwara
Elaine Ly
Chinmayi Balusu
Emma Quinn
Elaine Ly
Hailey Espinosa
Ellie Klibaner-Schiff
Izzy Lapidus
Emma Quinn
Karen Huynh
Esme Sacks
Maddie Sullivan
Eve O’Leary Mullock
Marturia Yami
Hailey Jay
Sarah Meredith
Kauther Almamori
Sungryu (Selei) Cho
Lexie Peltola
Samriddhi Rastogi
Madina Rain
Nikki Agarwal
Maia Alviar
Nhiyhana Nutter
Marnie Davidson
Mia Cardenas
Michelle Sun
Nayanika Singha
Rebecca Kanter
Chowdhury
Sabeen Arain Samantha Doyle-Jacobson Sami Broder Samriddhi Rastogi Yutika Pandit
Sabeen Arain Salma Alrowaie Sneha Pullanoor Sungryu (Selei) Cho Vaishali Gupta Xueyi Lu Nayanika Singha Chowdhury
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of issue two! ARTISTS
LAYOUT DESIGNERS
SOCIAL MEDIA
Director: Shivali Gulati
Director: Athena Yao Cover Art: Alainah Cabradila
Director: Victoria Chang
Athena Yao
Katie Hall
Shivali Gulati
Abby Liang
Alice Zhang
Andrea Gonzalez
Angie Landin
Anum Ahmad
Aishwarya Gattanj
Chiffon Nguyen
Esme Sacks
Alyssa Lopez
Hope Levin
Jasmine Serna
Anaya Patel
Salma Alrowaie
Joyce Guo
Hope Levin
Samantha Doyle-Jacobson
Marturia Yami
Madina Rain
Sandra Nguyen
Mia-Aiyana Cardenas
Roaa Elawady
Vaishali Gupta
Nishat Chowdury
Samriddhi Rastogi
Vanessa Guo
Quennie Luc
Varshini Gopinatha
Varshini Gopinathan
Sabrina Ma
VIDEO PRODUCERS
INTERVIEWERS Director: Rebecca Kanter Amanda Bolden
Director: Priyanshi Nigam
Sabrina Ma
Billiejean Staggs Chinmayi Balusu
n
PARTNERSHIPS Director: Andrea Gonzalez Alyssa Lopez Amanda Bolden Hailey Espinosa Roaa Elawady
PHOTOGRAPHY Director: Tran Le Esther Duong Camille Coriell Hope Levin
FINANCE VIDEO EDITORS
Director: Ayushi Malhotra Aishwarya Gattanj Carolina Robledo Velini De
Director: Cassie Areff
Andrade
Ayushi Malhotra
Ellie Klibaner-Schiff
Beth Polito
Harshita Singh
Victoria Chang
Maha Rahman
Katie Hall
Salma Alrowaie Roaa Elawady LAYOUT BY SHIVALI GULATI 8 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
Our Partners Thank you for supporting our initiative!
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Partner With Girl Genius! Join our community and reach our auidience.
To partner with us, please email ggpartnershipsdirector@gmail.com. We offer partnerships through Instagram, YouTube, and our blog.
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WOMEN NOW By Karen Huynh, Cyra Paladini, Nayanika Singha Chowdhury | Artists: Mia-Aiyana Cardenas, Jasmine Serna
AND THEN 11 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE LAYOUT BY SALMA ALROWAIE
IVIE ANI Ivie who
Ani is
is
a
CORETTA KING
Nigerian-American
currently
working
covering
culture.
website
centered
at
Okayplayer around
journalist,
Okayplayer, is
an
online
hip-hop
and
It’s
honestly
system
that
a
failure
we
of
don’t
the
learn
education
more
about
Coretta Scott King in school. When covering the
civil
rights
era,
we
hear
extensively
alternative music. in 2014, Ivie graduated
about her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
from New York University where she majored
yet somehow Ms. King is routinely cast into
in Journalism and Africana Studies. Ivie has
her
written many articles throughout her career,
supportive
some of which have been published in The
mother, and yes, she was a loud and proud
New
intersectional
York
Times,
Teen
Vogue,
PAPER
Magazine, and Women in the World.
She
husband’s
activism
shadow.
wife,
yes,
she
feminist
experience
Yes,
with
as
her
she
was
just
was
a
a
caring
as
much
husband.
Well
has also been invited to speak at events for
before she married, she was an established
Girls
member of the National Association for the
Write
Now,
Harvard
Medical
School,
and many more. Ivie’s commentary and keen
Advancement
eye fire detail is what makes her work stand
several
out. As a journalist, it is her job to share the
During Martin’s rise to fame, she not only
truth and she does just that. She speaks out
supported
against the injustices women in the music
participated in several rallies, boycotts, and
industry
marches. She was a dedicated
are
readers
on
today’s
top
put
the
through.
cultural
hits.
She
She
educates
inspiration shares
behind
her
own
of
other
Colored
civil
rights
People,
and
organizations.
demonstrations
but
also
champion
of African American activism, but she also tackled
women’s
subordination
head
on!
personal stories and advice to help young
Coretta was a proud feminist; she played a
girls
significant
advance
honest,
in
the
thoughtful,
world.
and
Her
work
provocative.
is
The
role
in
the
founding
of
the
National Organization for Women, and even
truth she shares sometimes differs from the
hosted
a
convention
in
Atlanta.
All
in
all,
popular opinion, but it aids us in perceiving
Coretta was a woman who refused to be
our world on a deeper level.
suppressed.
12 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
ATHENA MAYBANK MARGARET SANGER Born
in
Aletha
It’s a fact that even today, contraception is,
Maybank is a physician with a dream to see
well, controversial. In 1914, the concept was
increased
both unheard of, and absolutely unwelcome
studied
Harrisburg,
diversity
at
where
she
the
Pennsylvania,
in
her
John
Hopkins
University,
public.
However,
Margaret
Sanger
right to be able to control her reproductive
as she continued on to Temple University
abilities, and in that very year she released
School of Medicine for her medical degree
her
and Columbia University Mailman School of
Woman
Public
advocated
receive
her
of
the
Her schooling did not stop there,
to
Bachelor
to
believed that it was a woman’s fundamental
Health
a
Maybank
Arts
degree.
earned
field.
Master’s
in
first
feminist
publication,
Rebel”
in
for
which
birth
called she
control
“The
openly and
its
Public Health Today, Maybank works as an
widespread use. Naturally, her work wasn’t
Assistant
York
exactly well accepted. She was forced to
Mental
flee to England after being charged with
Hygiene. Maybank, along with several other
violating the Comstock act (a law banning
African-American
contraceptives on the basis that they were
City
Commissioner
Department
created
the
of
“We
movement in 2012.
at
the
Health
and
female Are
New
physicians,
Doc
McStuffins”
Their inspiration arises
“obscene”
and
“illicit.”)
Despite
the
harsh
criticism, Sanger carried on. She believed
from the Disney Junior show Doc McStuffins,
that
a show about a young African-American girl
poverty would be birth control, as she came
nurturing her toys in her playhouse clinic.
from
Alongside the movement, the women have
families
created
resources. In hiding and through jail time,
the
organization celebrate
a
Artemis
Medical
aimed global
physicians of color.
to
Society,
mentor
sisterhood
of
an and
women
and
the
just
primary
one
way
of
erase
millions
suffering
Margaret
to
of
from
continued
pamphlets
and
essays
contraceptive
techniques
and
women’s
poor
large
inadequate
to
release detailing
advocating
for their use.
13 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
FRIDA KAHLO
PLAUTELLA NELLI
Frida Kahlo is most widely known for her art.
Plautella Nelli was a self-taught nun artist
She
who was highly inspired by the paintings of
famously
traditional
painted
style,
while
in
the
also
Mexican
incorporating
Bartholomeo
and
Savonaralo.
She
was
a
thematic elements of renaissance art into
trailblazer -- she stood out at a time when
her work. But, Frida was both an innovator
women artists only did paintings depicting
in the creative and social sphere, she was
stereotypes. She is one of the few female
unabashedly
artists
‘feminist,’
a
women's
decades
advocate,
Lives
of
the
Most
coined, and here’s why: From an early age
one of the most influential writings on the
she drew inspiration from her surroundings
Italian
in
characterized by religious themes, with vivid
folklore.
Frida
female!
She
culture,
was didn’t
bold,
term
in
Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects,
local
the
mentioned
was
nature,
before
a
and and
just
Hispanic
a
fearless
document
the
Renaissance.
portrayals faces.
of
Due
emotion to
her
Nelli’s
on
her
work
is
characters'
religious
vocation
environment she lived in, she put society on
prohibiting study of the nude male, Nelli’s
trial!
male
Not
comment class, such
only on
and
did
questions
sexual
issues
Kahlo
were
of
use
race,
orientation publicly
her
art
to
figures
are
said
to
have
“feminine
gender,
characteristics”. In 2007, her paintings were
before
restored at The Uffizi’s Department of Prints
long
acknowledged,
and
Drawings;
they
include
several
but she herself routinely defied gender roles
representations of the human figure, such as
and
“Bust
female
Her
most
were
her
Male Figure”. She was most renowned for
ungroomed brows and faint mustache, both
her painting The Last Supper, the first piece
commonly
of art ever rendered by a woman, at the
defining
beauty
physical
standards. features
identified
as
‘male’
of
a
Woman”
as
successfully made her place and mark in the
aspects.
and
refused
conformity
in
all
Maria.
“Kneeling
Basilica
was,
Santa
and
characteristics. She embraced her beauty it
of
Young
Plautella
Nelli
male-dominated art society.
14 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
15 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
How is art contributed to the technology field? Art has a surprising yet simple contribution to the technology field. Any physical piece of technology that we use requires design, and that within itself is art. Furthermore, if you are looking at usable software there is a lot of art involved in the user interface, making sure that the product is not only usable but also aesthetically appealing, an important aspect to user experience. All the tech we use today might have heavy science behind them, but they also include a lot of art and creativity that helps the users enjoy their everyday products.
How do I know if a career in STEAM is right for me? For myself, I found that STEAM was right for me because it was a great intersection between my curiosity for athe world around me and my passion for problem-solving. Therefore, my
steam advice from girl genius magazine
recommendation is to find what you are passionate about and see if it can be applied to STEAM. If you find you are interested in both computers and drawing, how about animation? Furthermore, what’s really great about STEAM is that it has a wide breadth of careers for many different interests. Therefore, if you want to pursue STEAM, there is most likely a way to do so.
What can I do to help other women in STEAM? Encourage others to join the field. And share your knowledge with others. Sharing events with others is also important, because a lot of women do not know where to start when looking. There are many events for women in STEAM that allows women to connect with other women. These events are optimal to learn more about women in STEAM. Finally, be supportive and learn from each other.
BY CASSIE AREFF + MARTURIA YAMI | LAYOUT BY SANDRA NGUYEN
What is the best way to get involved in research early? A great way to get into research early is by contacting professors at a college/university near you and asking if they would be willing to mentor you. I would recommend doing research on these professors online to see if you are interested in the research they are doing. This can give you an opportunity to really find what you’re interested in and ever discover things you’ve never heard of. I also suggest taking this time to find their contact information which can usually be found on
What is #BUILTBYGIRLS? #BUILTBYGIRLS is an initiative started by the group Built By Girls to reimagine what the world would be like if women had equal footing from the beginning. To do this, in their WAVE program they work to pair young girls with female trailblazers, all while working to address issues of diversity and inclusion. Built By Girls, itself, is an amazing resource that works to provide young girls in high school and college access to mentors, career advising, and job opportunities at tech companies. Their purpose is to make the STEAM world more accessible for girls through
their school’s website or their own personal
their connected community, programs, and
website (not as common but still occurs). In
more. If you want to look more into their work,
your email, always make sure to introduce yourself and be direct with why you are messaging that professor, explain a little about your interests to build some rapport, always make sure to be courteous and polite, and don’t forget to sign off the email with your name and where they can contact you. Making that connection with a professor not only gives you access to research and resources but is also a great networking opportunity. If you are rejected or don’t hear a response, no worries because you can always conduct your own research! Find something you are passionate about and have an interest in, then get to work. Develop a hypothesis and start conducting your experiments. In fact, there are many journals online that actually publish work from high school students, such as the National High School Journal of Science.
Why is it important to address the disparity between men and women involved in STEAM? It is important to address this gap because it encourages companies to make the necessary changes to improve conditions. These changes could include providing the opportunity for women to attend programs and conferences and encouraging women to be involved in the field and thus cultivating a welcoming environment for all genders. Not only does it alter companies, but also
you can access them through their website, builtbygirls.com.
What programs to industry professionals advise for you to participate in? Industry professionals that I’ve had conversations with mostly suggest participation in programs that increase your exposure to STEAM. This exposure allows for a better understanding of your interests and to see if you can picture yourself in that field/concentration. Such actions would include joining Girls Who Code, starting a Society of Women Engineers branch at your campus, a network like Built by Girls, or even looking at videos on YouTube..
Common misconceptions about STEAM? Are there any? A common misconception about STEAM is that it is a heavily male-dominated field in which women would have difficulty succeeding. While it is true that STEAM is male-dominated, it does not mean that women cannot participate in it or can’t be successful in it. Anyone can do STEAM and women are no exception, as success matters on passion and dedication. Another misconception is that STEAM subjects are mutually exclusive, which is far from true. In fact, STEAM subjects are deeply integrated within one another and a wide understanding of all the subjects can actually be a great benefit to your specific concentration. A great example would be robotics which melds art, mathematics, and engineering into one.
increases the quality of products produced by the company. To build a product for everyone, you need diversity and ideas from a wide diverse group.
16 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
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PHOTO BY TRAN LE
RESOURCES FOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN STEM By Madeleine Sullivan, Emma Quinn | Layout By Sandra Nguyen & Shivali Gulati
An interactive, personal way for
Eureka! is a program offered in
Girls Who Code is an extremely
young women to become
New York City that exposes girls
renowned company that has
involved in STEAM is through
entering 8th-12th grade to a wide
helped girls all around the world
STEAM clubs and organizations.
variety of STEAM-related topics.
get involved in technology. Full of
Here are three examples of
From environmental science to
clubs, jobs, and camps, this
STEAM programs offered for girls.
DNA analysis, this course has
program consists of numerous
anything and everything related
ways for girls to participate.
Million Women Mentors
to STEAM. It is offered over the
Partnering with well-known
connects experienced women in
summer from July to August and is
companies such as Adobe,
STEAM-related careers to young
completely free of charge. Girls
Walmart, Amazon, and more, Girls
girls, mentoring young girls and
experiment with an endless
Who Code has connections all
acting as a guide as the girls go
amount of hands-on activities,
over and brings girls once in a
through their career-life. Mentors
such as robot-building and
lifetime experiences. Reports
and mentees often spend over 20
coding. Girls usually stay within
have shown that the company
hours working together over the
the program for five years; this
has helped over 185,000 girls
course of one year, whether by
long term involvement allows the
learn more on technology, and
telephone, email, or face-to-
mentor and student to
their numbers don’t plan on
face. Mentors present enormous
understand each other on a deep
stopping. By joining groups that
amounts of internships and
level, in which the students are
center around the themes of
opportunities that these girls
often recommended for
STEAM, young women grow
would never have been able to
exceptional internships in the
stronger and develop their
receive before.
near future.
STEAM related interests.
In our own community here at
Girl Genius, we too are
involved in many STEAM clubs and organizations. All of us play a crucial role in uplifting young women by expressing how STEAM is approachable and can be a dream anyone can achieve. We all help each other by sharing our interests and ideas to make the magazine the best it can possibly be.
Many are involved in STEAM clubs outside of the magazine. Some examples of these clubs are a Science Competition Club, a Reading Quiz Bowl team, and STEMgirls, a group to empower women in science fields. With these opportunities in school, the girls in GG Magazine are growing their interests in science fields.
One
empowering
writes
that
“STEAM
environment
for
clubs
future
create female
a
positive
scholars”
and (GG
Writer, 2019). This is most definitely true. By joining STEAM clubs you can nurture your passions and meet young women who are just as passionate as you. Not only this, but these clubs can provide
opportunities
to
enrich
and
further
your
academic
endeavors.
It can seem daunting to find these sources at first, especially in a world that seems to prioritize boys over girls in some of these fields. This does not mean we do not persist, and don’t try to have our voices heard by being brave enough to pursue our passions as women, no matter what field of STEAM it is in. Reach out in your community to form your own STEAM-related clubs if none are present; you could be the match that ignites the fire for young women everywhere in your community.
Girls shouldn’t be afraid to reach out into their communities or their schools and get involved in what they are passionate about. 18 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
19 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE GRAPHIC BY ALAINAH CABRADILLA LAYOUT BY SANDRA NGUYEN
STEAM & The LGBTQIA+ Community BY
CHAITRALI
PADHYE
In STEAM programs and fields, it’s common knowledge that women are given fewer opportunities to thrive. There are more men in STEAM than women, and that number gets
&
LEXIE
PELTOLA
“but only 29% of the science and engineering workforce... Minority women comprise fewer than 1 in 10 employed scientists and engineers.”
smaller when you take into account race and orientation. Research is so underfunded that
From the National Science Foundation, here
there are practically no articles about queer
are some statistics to show how few women
people in STEAM, let alone actual statistics.
are in STEAM fields: 35.2% of chemists are
It’s about time we bridge the gap and make
women; 11.1% of physicists and astronomers
these careers more open and accessible to
are women; 22.7% of chemical engineers are
everyone. Let’s start with sharing some, like
women; 17.1% of industrial engineers are
just how few women and queer people are in
women; 10.7% of electrical or computer
STEAM.
hardware engineers are women; 7.9% of mechanical engineers are women.Things
According to the National Girls Collaborative
don’t look any better when
Project, women make up half of the total U.S.
According to Wikipedia, a news article
post-graduate workforce,
discusses current or recent news of either general interest or of a specific topic.
19 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
About 3.5% of Americans identify as queer.
Alan Turing was a mathematician and
The National Science Foundation does not
computer scientist working in the height of
provide statistics on people in the LGBTQ+
World War II. He is said to be the "founder of
community, so resources and websites
computer science… philosopher,
pertaining to this are rare and hard to come
codebreaker, strange visionary and a gay
by. And while others are fighting against the
man before his time." His most famous work
stigma to make STEAM diverse, virtually no
was breaking the German enigma code and
efforts include the LGBTQ+ community.
enabling the Allies to defeat Adolf Hitler in
STEAM fields are not nearly as accepting of
World War II. Sadly, the British government
queer people, and that has led to many
arrested him because of his homosexuality
people in the community to consider leaving
and forced him to go through conversion
their job or school after enduring
therapy. Turing died by suicide at the age of
discrimination.
41.
Karen Warkentin, a queer professor at Boston
Laurence Michael Dillon was the first
University, has experienced these hardships in
transgender man to undergo gender
her life for over thirty years. She was
reassignment surgery, according to
teaching at the University of Texas at Austin
Australia's Gender Centre. In doing so, he
during her PhD, and was thrilled at the
had given up his claim to a noble title, and a
acceptance and love she received in regards
career in medicine, which he was passionate
to her being queer. She then took a professor
about. He lived out the rest of his days as a
job at Boston University in 2001, and quickly
Buddhist monk and authored two books
realized that the school was not as
about spirituality.
accommodating to queer people. The president at the time, John Silber, had
These people were so impactful in the STEAM
banned the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance, now
and the LGBTQ+ community; they continue to
known as Gender-Sexuality Alliance), and
shape and pave the way for other queer
refused to include sexual orientation into the
people. They inspire others to pursue a career
school’s nondiscrimination policy. Warkentin
in STEAM, as they didn’t back down from the
said she was used to the accepting
challenges thrown their way. We thank them
environment offered at the University of
endlessly for what they have done.
Texas at Austin, so it was “surprisingly hard… los[ing] the diversity and openness.” Millions
There are so many young men and women
more people like Karen have and are facing
out there that desperately want a STEAM
some of the same hardships everyday.
career, but are scared they won’t be accepted because they are LGBTQ+. Thus,
Sally Ride was America's first female
here’s a list of resources, articles, and
astronaut and a space shuttle robotic arm
websites that may help people get started on
operator. She flew with the 1983 Challenger
learning more about STEAM, the LGBTQ+
expedition, the same shuttle that exploded
community, and how to make it a more
three years later mid-liftoff (though she was
accepting and loving environment.
not apart of it and lived until 2012). 20 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
19 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
The National Organization of Gay and
The reason we need more acceptance and
Lesbian Scientists and Technical
inclusivity in STEAM is to encourage others to
Professionals (https://www.noglstp.org) is an
be a part of these great careers. People with
organization that “advocates for equal
skills in STEAM are in high demand for
employment opportunity... science education,
interesting new projects and even
and scientific freedom.” They aim to
fundamentally changing the way we view the
“educate everyone in any community about
universe. According to GLSEN,
the scientific, technological, and medical concerns of LGBTQ+ people.”
“while LGBT students benefit from an LGBTinclusive STEM curriculum, STEM as a field
GLSEN (Gay Lesbian and Straight Education
benefits, too. When LGBT students see
Network) is an organization designed to
themselves reflected in their curriculum and
“improve an education system that too
choose STEM careers, diverse new
frequently allows its [LGBTQ+] students to be
perspectives are introduced into the field.”
bullied, discriminated against, or fall through the cracks.” Their article, Why (and How)
An LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum includes
STEM Curriculum Needs to Be LGBT Inclusive
highlighting the lives of queer individuals in
(https://www.glsen.org/blog/why-and-how-
the field. The LGBTQ+ community doesn’t feel
stem-curriculum-needs-be-lgbt-inclusive),
accepted in these careers and that needs to
written by bisexual genderqueer Mary
change.
Hoelscher, is all about personal experiences in STEAM as a bisexual and genderqueer
There’s loads more to learn about STEAM in
person and why it’s beneficial to implement
regards to the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s
more policies for inclusive teachings.
time for some big changes to happen. This beautiful community needs to be seen more;
LGBT STEM is an international project that
it doesn’t deserve to live on in the shadows of
showcases LGBT people in the STEM fields,
discrimination and bigotry. We deserve to be
showing the diversity of people found in roles
seen in all of our colorful glory. All it takes is
all across the STEM careers and providing
one little drop in the vast ocean to make a
role models for those who are considering
ripple effect, to change the whole world and
the possibility of going into a STEM field.
its’ views on the community. Be that drop.
21 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
JUDGE GEARY
IN路CLU路SIV路I路TY IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE FOR A SELECT FEW.
22 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
Middle School Feedback and Interviews
"Hi! Just read Issue One of GG Magazine and I’m nothing short of impressed, both by the quality and quantity of the articles that are here for readers! :) I feel that the A in STEAM just makes everything more inclusive, because traditionally people have been used to separating arts and sciences but, really, in the real world there is no such distinction between the two as they are really integrated in various aspects of our lives. For instance, three dimensional art structures require an eye for art but also a good
Feedback on our magazine and
sense of mathematical and physical understanding,
additional insights from the next
lest the structure might collapse. I am also a firm
generation of female changemakers—
believer and supporter of women in STEM, as this
middle school girls interested in developing and pursuing their passions
area is where we are vastly underrepresented, especially when it comes to fields like engineering and mathematics. I feel that such magazines will
in STEAM!
really help to empower those of us who would like to pursue our passions in these fields but are deterred
INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY SALMA ALROWAIE
by the fact that not a lot of women have done it
& HARSHITA SINGH
previously."
-Ruby
LAYOUT DESIGN BY ATHENA YAO
"I think that Girl Genius Magazine is an amazing platform that allows many intelligent girls to work together and showcase their love for STEAM! As for my favorite part, I personally lean more towards technology
"I feel that the A in STEAM just makes everything more inclusive, because traditionally people have been used to separating arts and sciences but, really, in the real world there is no such distinction between the two as they are really integrated in various aspects of our lives."
because it has drastically improved the way we live our lives! It makes accessing information much easier and it gives us the ability to instantly connect with family and friends whenever we want and wherever we go. Technology has left a huge impact on the world, and I think that it would be much more difficult to live in a world without technology because it would make everything less efficient and more time consuming. All in all, I think that all of the parts of STEAM work hand in hand. For example, to build a tower you would need engineers who would use their knowledge in mathematics and physics in order to make it stand. The suitable technology will be used to build it, and architects will add their finishing touches to make it look aesthetically pleasing. Nothing would exist without these five essential components."
-Jurie 23 | G 23 I R |L G GIE RN L IG US EN M IU AS GA MZ AI G NE AZINE
INTERVIEW WITH THI LE Thi Le is a middle school girl who has just started out in her journey through the world of art! Read about her perspective here. Why do you find art interesting? I find art very interesting because of the different types of mediums it offers. Pencil and charcoal can look abstract, watercolor can look loose but refined, and painting can look messy but regal.
How do you find that art connects to other parts of your life? Even though we might not speak the same language, everyone can speak the language of art. Thus, art connects many different people together. That’s how I found artist friends online.
Who inspires you most in the realm of art? There are many people who inspire me in the realm of art. For example, @tengerineart, @hanandesu, and my many other friends on Instagram inspire and motivate me to keep on creating art.
How do you think that you can use art to help other people? Art can be used as a weapon or a tool that can send out important messages to the public. In the past and even now, art has been used to support the LGBTQ+ communiy, people with mental illnesses, and those facing third world problems. I plan to create art in the future to address the societal issues in my community.
What are your ambitions with art for the future? I plan to use my art skills to enter contests (and hopefully win) and use art to raise awareness about global warming. Follow my Instagram account @theartsbythi to see my art adventure!
How do you think being a middle schooler influences your perspective on art? As a middle schooler, the new environment and people around me makes me more grateful that art even exists.
Images on left: some examples of Thi's artwork! See more of her work and support her through her artistic journey by checking out her Instagram page @theartsbythi.
24 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
Meet Danielle Kanter Danielle is an ambitious middle school student from New York City interested in pursuing the field of mathematics. Read on to find out why she's so fascinated by this subject and how she plans to continue studying it in the future! INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY SALMA ALROWAIE & HARSHITA SINGH | LAYOUT DESIGN BY ATHENA YAO
Who inspires you most in the realm of math? My math teacher is the person who inspires me the most. She was a very good teacher who was able to get everyone (and I mean everyone) in the class interested in math and excited to come to class every day to learn. She was very patient with every student and would go over each topic in as many ways as possible to ensure that everyone understood it and wasn’t left behind. She even taught us some calculus! She assigned us awesome math projects that related to everyday life. For instance, we had a project about calories in food that related to algebraic inequalities.
What interests you about the field of math—why do you find it interesting? I find math interesting because whatever you are learning in math always has a real life application to other fields like architecture or science. Any career that I want to go into, whether it be as a doctor or scientist or lawyer can use the skills that I learned in math. I also like the possibilities of math and math research - it is super interesting to read about what mathematicians are capable of doing and discovering about the laws of our world. Math is cool because it is universal; if I go to China, it will be the same as what I learn in New York City.
How do you find that math connects to other parts of your life? Anywhere you go, math can connect to what you are looking at, interacting with, or learning about. Math dictates everything around us, including music, so every time I listen to a song, math controls what I am listening to. Music has rhythm and tones that use math. The chemistry that goes into baking is mathematically controlled and determines if your cake is perfect or inedible.
25 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
"Anywhere you go, math can connect to what you are looking at, interacting with, or learning about."
How do you think you can use your math skills to help other people? I was able to use my math skills this past year by tutoring the sixth graders at school in math to help them to understand concepts they were struggling with and to complete assignments that they would have been otherwise unable to finish. I reviewed the concepts with them and kept on explaining it to them in different ways until they were finally able to understand it as well as I did. This resulted in them getting better grades, which made both me and them feel good. It gave them more confidence in math class, which was nice to see.
What are your ambitions with math for the future? I am excited to take my first high school level math class this year while still in eighth grade. When I do actually get into high school, I hope to be able to be on the math team at school and to take computer science classes. I also hope to join Girls Who Code in high school because it seems really cool and empowering for the girls who do it. Maybe one day I’ll get to take really hard classes like AP Calculus!
How do you think being a middle schooler influences your perspective on the realm of STEAM? I think it’s beneficial because it gives me a fresh and uninfluenced view so I only see what’s possible and not what’s impossible. I have a lot of ambition and it is not interfered with yet. I can see every opportunity available for me and my future.
"I am excited to take my first high school level math class this year while still in eighth grade. When I do actually get into high school, I hope to be able to be on the math team at school and to take comptuer science classes...Maybe one day I'll get to take really hard classes like AP Calculus!"
26 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
so...why community? Girl Genius Magazine strives to establish strong connections and a sense of community between girls and women that are passionate about STEAM. This sense of community among people is what brings us together and drive us to progress. All of us bring our own unique ideas and strengths to the table, and when we all work together as a team, great things can happen. However, our individualities and ideas are susceptible to being smothered and unacknowledged, and this is where 'group-think' and censorship hold us back from advancement. In this issue, our creative writers explore the sense of community and the importance of representation, teamwork, leadership, and support.
27 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
28 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE GRAPHIC BY ALICE ZHANG LAYOUT BY VARSHINI GOPINATHAN
potential in steam
underneath. Each individual should navigate through life alongside a community in their every single stride. Appreciation stems from the most accepting of
By Sungryu (Selei) Cho
beings,
Love, cherish, and appreciate one another.
to encourage worldwide healing?
so why don’t we begin that journey in this world
Dedicate yourselves to not only promote yourself but to promote each other.
Look on, and glance at the future ahead.
There is no easy way to work together,
We can make it quite far if we try yet again.
for people have voices that can easily muffle
If we cease in making attempts, what would
others’.
come of our breakthroughs
But if we take time to adjust ourselves to
since we’d have nobody else to share them
promote care,
with?
we can empower one another to make
We need one another.
everything fair.
Otherwise, we may easily wither as a plant made to live
No more shall we face discrimination alone,
without the radiance of the sun.
but allow ourselves to lean on others’ shoulders some more.
So, let us join hands
We are individuals that need to be freed,
and seek our own
vnot in a cage, locked up, and swept
potential together.
X U E Y I
L U
UNITY IN DIVERSITY when
we
weigh
the
collective and the individual we often undervalue one or the other when
we
toil
to
seek
diversity we
often
forget
the
need
for unity
a
single
drop
of
water
cannot create a wave and
the
ripple
it
creates
always seems too small but
a
wave
cannot
exist
the
droplets
that
without
complete it— this is the very essence of our seas. LAYOUT BY VARSHINI GOPINATHAN GRAPHIC BY JOYCE GUO 29 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS There is no universe that can only harbor a UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS single star UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY DIVERSITY UNITY DIVERSITY there is noINcosmic fabric with IN only a single UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS stitch UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS so be sure to shine brightly, since your glory UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY does not dull the lights ofUNITY others.IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS could we call the forest a forest if it had a UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS single tree? UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS could we call a photo a photo if it had a UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS single pixel? UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS could we call a novel a novel if it just one UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY INhad DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS word? UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS could we call the earth the earth if it had just UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS one UNITY speck of UNITY IN DIVERSITY IN dirt? DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS diversity is not chaos.unity is not conformity. UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS whyUNITY limit ourselves by choosing to take a UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS side? UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS we can embrace all entities whilst living UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS unique lives. UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERS UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY V]UNITY IN DIVER UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY IN DIVERSITY UNITY 30 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
Knight in Shining Armor WRITTEN BY SABEEN ARAIN, GRAPHIC: JASMINE SERNA, LAYOUT: VANESSA GUO
31 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
Boom boom boom. My head is
I let the battlefield continue, I let
throbbing, my brain is bursting,
the brutal words continue to be
my skull is cracking, my body is
thrown around to every woman in
shaking. I can’t hear anything
this vicinity, in this society. I see
except the painful migraine
the light slowly dimming, fading
flooding through my head. No
away. Someone cuts through my
one is listening, no one can hear
monologue like a knife going
me. I am smothered with a pillow,
through butter; it sounds so calm
I'm endlessly drowning, I can’t
and confident: ”Please let others
seem to escape this nightmare.
speak and do not throw around
This is exhausting. I close my eyes
words as though they mean
and I can see the battlefield
nothing. That seems like a great
raging on. Words, phrases,
idea, but we need others’ ideas in
sentences are thrown around,
order to come to a concise
drawing insecurities out, and
decision and to solve the
lowering women’s voices. I raise
predicament we have.” She looks
my hand to try and give my own
at me, the light reignites and I
opinion, and show my bravery, “I
smile. Suddenly, the throbbing
believe that the method you have
headache fades away, the
stated won’t work, its not-” I
battlefield disappears, the
flinch, I can hear a wailing
nightmare stops. She raised her
screech interrupt my speech, my
voice and it was heard, she saved
head pounds more violently. Nonsense, you’re wrong, your opinion doesn’t matter, that’s stupid. Everyone keeps on saying that, all the time, all the damn time. What’s the point in having a voice if I can’t speak my
us all from the wounds and we could finally just...breathe. Great things can happen now.-A vignette about how women have each other and shouldn’t back down -Sabeen Arain
thoughts? 32 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
HOW
HUMANS
DESTROYING
ARE THE
EARTH
#FridaysForFuture is a movement that began
On the 8th of September, Greta decided to
in
continue
August
Thunberg
2018, sat
in
after
15-year-old
front
of
the
Greta
Swedish
striking
every
Friday.The
hashtags
#FridaysForFuture and #ClimateStrike spread,
parliament every school day for three weeks
and
many
students
to protest against the lack of action on the
world
climate crisis. She posted what she was doing
parliaments and local city halls as well. This
on Instagram and Twitter and it soon went
also
viral.
strikes.
began
inspired
to
and
adults
protest
Belgium’s
around
outside
Thursday
of
the their
school
Greta is autistic, which means that she sees the world from a different perspective than most people. When she was 8 years old, she first heard about the topic of climate change but couldn’t believe that nobody seemed to really be talking about it. When she was 11, she fell into depression and refused to eat or speak because she was worrying about the climate crisis. She watched a documentary about climate change in school, and she couldn’t understand why people kept saying that climate change was the most important issue of all, but they weren’t doing anything to solve it.
She thought for months, even years, about why adults didn’t make the necessary strides to solve the climate crisis even though they knew it was so important to the future of our planet and humankind.
Some
time
later,
she
decided
to
do
something
herself:
she
sat
outside
her
government’s offices every Friday instead of going to school to call for action. As she stated in her talk at TEDxStockholm, “...why should I be studying for a future that will soon be no more when no one is doing anything whatsoever to save that future?”
WRITTEN BY: ISHIKA KOHLI & SAMRIDDHI RASTOGI
33 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
It started out with her sitting outside on the road in appalling temperatures, posting pictures of her worried but determined self online, but it has now shifted into a worldwide movement for climate justice.On March 15th, 2019, Greta Thunberg helped coordinate a worldwide strike with people sharing the same principles that she did. People from all over the world lined up in front of their government offices and called for change.
As Greta continues to be an inspirational figure and advocate for climate change action, you can make your own voice heard in support of the movement. Fridays For Future does not ask you to bunk school or do anything you’re uncomfortable with. In fact, there are so many different ways of protesting. The official website states the following:“Many people do not think they can strike, i.e. they are worried about their school grades. The Belgium schools all used clocks which then 'struck' and then took a picture and this was their method to strike on November 30. Other groups have other ways to find a way to strike, even churches have their bells strike! Some empathy strike. All support is welcome.
save the save the save the
earth earth earth
If you use the hashtag #FridaysForFuture and #ClimateStrike, others passionate about this issue will be able to find and share your excellent work. Greta Thunberg, a teen and young adult just like us, has found that when one young person says something, not many people will listen, but if there are young people everywhere piping up for their future on this planet, action will certainly happen. Thus, go on and strike, post on social media, or start making changes in your daily habits to help protect our earth and its natural resources. It’s time to take action to help secure our future on this planet! LAYOUT BY SALMA ALROWAIE
34 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
35 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
GirlTechBoss Written by GirlTechBoss | Layout by Abby Liang
In the upcoming months, they will be holding panel talks, more seminars, and hackathons for elementary, middle, and high school girls. Go check out their Youtube channel and website (girltechboss.com) for more information
GTB is excited to be partnering with Girl Genius Magazine for their September Issue. We love what you are doing on this platform and the message you are spreading to the next cohort of women leaders. Huge thank you to their entire team for creating an incredible piece. We are so glad to be a part of this! GirlTechBoss is a New York Metro centered non-profit led by Molly Cantillon and Melanie Herbert, two high schoolers from New Jersey. Their mission statement of empowering girls to pursue STEM and entrepreneurship stemmed from their own experiences competing in a robotics team and taking technical classes together. Growing up taking various STEM courses, they’ve become aware of the gender gap present in technology and entrepreneurship. Through GirlTechBoss, they aspire to fill this gap by creating a platform for girls to learn from and be inspired by. Recently, they launched a Youtube Series that interviews women STEM entrepreneurs about their experiences in the industry. Along with that, Melanie and Molly have also been organizing and instructing monthly seminar classes at a local robotics center.
scholarships for women in technology By Hailey Jay, Vaishali Gupta, Hope Levin Many young girls and women around the world do not receive the education they desire and deserve due to financial need. While some may be more fortunate, going to college or a university is expensive for everyone. Some people can pay for it, some will take out loans, and others cannot afford to attend college without any form of assistance.
At Girl Genius, we want you, young girls and women in technology, to go to college without worrying about the costs. One more girl enrolled in a technology program is one more girl ready to change the world.
See each scholarship opportunity below and read carefully to see if you are eligible. There are a number of different scholarships for high school and college students in technology. Some scholarships have closer deadlines while others Photo by Tran Le are due in 2020. Either way, make sure to plan ahead to apply for any opportunity.
Photo by Tran Le
36 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE LAYOUT BY ABBY LIANG
1
The Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize for Undergraduate Women
For: Undergraduate
women who are U.S.
2 For:
The Edie Windsor Coding Scholarship for LGBTQ+ Women
LGBTQ+, non-binary, and transgender
citizens or have a school address in the U.S.
women who are ready to beginning their
and have demonstrated exceptional
coding careers!
mathematics skills and has made great contributions to the mathematics field.
Prize:
As coding becomes increasingly
prominent in our world, we need a diverse
Prize:
The winner will receive $1,000 and the
runner-up will receive $250.
group of students pursuing computer science more than ever. The benefits include up to half off your college tuition. Along your journey,
Time:
Undergraduate women can be
you will connect with a supportive and diverse
nominated for this award from August 16th to
community of scholars, receive academic and
October 1st during any year of their
professional coaching, and become prepared
undergraduate education.
for a full-time tech job after graduating!
Website:
Website:
https://awm-math.org/awards/
https://lesbianswhotech.org/
schafer-prize-for-undergraduates/
codingscholarship/
3
Details:
For:
Science Ambassador Scholarship - Women in STEM High school seniors & undergraduate
women. You don’t need to be a U.S. citizen to apply but you need to be attending--or plan to attend--a university in the United States.
Prize:
This application opens in the fall of
2020. You will need to film a 3 minute video explaining a STEM topic of your choosing.
Website:
https://www.scienceambassador
scholarship.org/
Did you know Cards Against Humanity
provides a scholarship for women studying STEM? Did you know that it entails full tuition?
37 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE GRAPHIC BY JOYCE GUO
4
Girls in STEM Scholarship Award For:
Undergraduate STEM women
enrolled in an accredited university.
5 For:
2020 (ISC)² Undergraduate Cybersecurity Scholarship This scholarship is aimed at students who
plan to study or are currently studying
Prize:
The Girls in STEM (GIS) Award aims to
cybersecurity, information assurance, or
increase participation and encourage the
another related major. High school seniors or
success of young women who wish to study
undergraduate students with a minimum GPA
STEM and pursue a STEM career. A $500
of 3.3 may apply.
award is given each year.
Prize: Details:
Apply by December 31st, 2019. To be
The (ISC)
²
Undergraduate Scholarship
provides awards ranging from $1,000 to
eligible, you must be in good academic
$5,000 for tuition, books, and student fees.
standing (3.0+ GPA) and show demonstrated
Women are highly encouraged to apply!
interest in STEM, which may include participation in extracurricular and community
Time:
activities (i.e. becoming a part of Girl Genius
1st, 2020 and closes March 1st, 2020 so mark
Magazine
☺ ).
Awards are also given to those
The application period opens January
your calendars now!
who show financial need.
Website: Website:
https://girlswhostem.com/girls-in-
https://iamcybersafe.org/s/
undergraduate-scholarships
stem-scholarship/
6
Women In Computing Scholarship For:
Female undergraduates pursuing
careers in computing. Applicants should be enrolled in a university in the USA or Canada. They should either have declared their major or completed one year in a technical field, such as computer science, computer
Prize:
The Women In Computing Scholarship,
sponsored by Dotcom-Monitor, is a $1,000 scholarship. The application will open in the fall of 2019!
Website:
https://www.loadview-
testing.com/scholarship/
engineering, or a related field.
Happy searching!
38 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
STEM FOR
EVERYONE 39 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
Justina Chua (left) at a high school engineering conference ran by her friend, Monica Para.
JUSTINA CHUA INTERVIEW
What pulled you toward the fields of tech and hackathons? Where did you first hear about hackathons?
talents.
Everyone is friendly and
open—attendees, mentors, and organizers alike—so you can reach out to anyone to help you
I got involved in computer science
troubleshoot or learn something
the summer after my freshman
new, like website design or game
year when I decided to take
development. You’re there for 24
Computer Science Honors on a
hours which means that there is a
whim. I fell in love with the
hard deadline of when you have
possibilities technology offered
to complete your project and
after learning about its endless
submit it. At hackathons,
applications. I first heard about
procrastination simply isn’t an
Interviewed by Rebecca Kanter
hackathons in high school, but I
option. It forces you to go out of
Layout by Abby Liang
wasn’t interested in them until I
your comfort zone, learn quickly,
realized that hackathons were
and take what you learn and
about learning and creating tech,
immediately utilize it. It’s not 100%
not literal ‘hacking’.
programming, too; hackathon
Full Name : Justina Chua Preferred Pronouns : She/her Grade : 12th Where I'm From : Chicago, IL
Graphic by Marturia Yami
organizers plan fun events, like
Why should other girls be interested in hackathons?
40 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
dancing and/or games, to ensure that your mind (and fingers!) get
Hackathons are the ideal place to
well-deserved breaks. Chances
learn computer science. First off,
are, you’ll make new friends since
you’re stuck in a venue for
everyone is united through a
(probably) around 24 hours with
common passion for technology.
other tech enthusiasts with
Also, who doesn’t love free food
varying degrees of skills and
and swag?
Justina is the founder & executive director of HAX, a nonprofit dedicated to making computer science education more accessible, one hackathon at a time.
the power of hackathons
Justina (right) at the NCWIT Northern Illinois affilate awards ceremony
What was your motivation in founding HAX? I realized how powerful high school hackathons are in getting people involved in computer science and connecting with others who share the same interests/passions. However, there isn’t much support offered for those who are interested in starting one; MLH is more focused on collegiatelevel hackathons, and it’s difficult as a high schooler to figure out the logistics of a hackathon like assembling a team, finding a venue, getting sponsors, and marketing the event. Through HAX, we make that process easier with our online guides and one-on-one personalized mentorship.
What is the purpose of HAX?
Touring the Google headquarters during the she++ fellowship, where she met other high school girls around the nation
HAX aims to make computer science education more accessible, one hackathon at a time. We provide hands-on assistance to bring these events to life. We also aim to empower girls and minorities in tech, especially at hackathons. By ensuring that they feel welcome and uplifted in such a techcentric environment, we hope that they will continue to pursue computer science in the future. Aside from hackathons, we are also currently working on our ‘workshops’ component, where those with less resources and time commitment will be able to organize workshops at their schools and communities.
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WindyCityHacks, Chicago's largest annual hackathon. Her team won Best Overall for Habit@, which tracks sustainable habits
Have you always been interested in tech/hackathons? Was there ever a time at which you felt dissuaded from tech/hackathons? No. Growing up, I never saw technology and computer science as more than their stereotypes. Whenever I heard words like “programming” and “hacking”, I always envisioned a hooded man typing away furiously in his
Justina & some others helped organize GirlCon, an annual all girls tech conference in Chicago hosted at Google
mother’s dimly lit basement. In middle school, I attended a game design summer program and was, to my dismay, the only girl there.
"I founded HAX to make computer science more accessible and inclusive for girls and underrepresented minorities."
How can Girl Genius Magazine readers and members get involved in HAX? We’re looking for talented individuals to join our team,
Where do you see HAX 1 year from now?
How should girls get started in learning more about tech?
Currently, we’re organizing 10+
Definitely get involved in all-girl
hackathons in over three
tech communities! As a Stanford
countries, including the U.S. We
she++ Fellow, NCWIT Awardee,
hope to continue expanding
and #BUILTBYGIRLS Advisee, I can
across the US and into more
attest to the power of these
countries to reach more people
organizations. Here, you’ll meet
around the world. We're also
other girls around the nation who
partnered with Girls Who Code,
are interested in technology,
#BUILTBYGIRLS, TILE, and
STEM, and gender equality. These
Crowdera. We aim to continue
communities are an incredible
growing our partnerships to reach
resource. Aside from those
more people and garner more
communities, definitely take
support for HAX, whether that be
computer science classes and get
through outreach, swag, and/or
involved in STEM extracurriculars
funding!
at school like Computer Science Club, Science Olympiad,
specifically those skilled in graphic design, writing, social media, marketing, and/or outreach. Our team is a friendly community of high school and college students from all around the U.S. and beyond, united by a passion for technology and helping others. You'll do rewarding work, build meaningful connections, grow skills, and uplift others. Time commitment is just a few hours a week, and is very flexible. If you’re interested in joining our team and making an impact. Apply at bit.ly/haxapply. If you’re interested in starting your own STEM/CS event and getting free mentorship, apply at bit.ly/haxinterest. Hope to work with you, and ad astra!
Robotics, and more! Learn online, too.
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MY STORY OF GENDER IDENTIFYING
& EMPOWERMENT IN ENGINEERING WRITTEN BY: KARINA POPOVICH
LAYOUT BY VANESSA GUO & SHIIVALI GULATI GRAPHIC BY ALAINAH CABRADILLA 43 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
"TO ME, BEING A WOMAN IN STEM WASN’T ABOUT ACCEPTING MALE CULTURE, IT BECAME ABOUT STARTING A FEMALE CULTURE THAT IS SYNONYMOUS WITH ENGINEERING."
I noticed the gap as early as middle school,
Having internalized my inferiority, I felt
when I took my first Robotics class. But I didn’t
uncomfortable embracing my feminine side
feel or realize it until high-school, when I was
during the Girls Who Code summer program
one of 6 girls in a class of 25 boys. It felt like
that I did in 2017. I resisted time after time. I
gym class; where a girl purposely sits out and
laughed in my head as everyone chanted song
doesn’t even try to throw the ball because she
lyrics, and I had a look of disbelief and
knows she will never be as good as a boy when
annoyance when I was asked to chant along. I
it comes to sports.In high school, I couldn’t be
didn’t understand how any of these girls at my
oblivious like I was in middle school. I was
program could wear frilly dresses, floral prints,
constantly aware of the irreconcilable social
or crop tops and become programmers.
circumstance of being me, a woman, and
Clothing has always been a form of expression
pursuing a career in STEM. I was conscious of
for my gender identity, and in order for me to
the lack of women and how that implied that
become a programmer I had to reject my
we are worse at engineering. I felt inferior; I felt
femininity.To me, femininity and tech were
like I didn’t belong, and what’s worse, I felt like
antonyms. I thought that the only way to
everyone knew it. Feeling that everyone knew I
succeed in tech was to embrace its male
was a phony, I couldn’t ask any questions or get
culture. At my worst times, I truly believed that
help because that would only further prove that
the only way for me to be an engineer was to
I didn’t belong. I was stuck in a cycle and I
be a man, to hide my body, hide my femininity
couldn’t get better.I sat myself out, knowing
under oversized t-shirts, act like a man, think like
that I wasn’t good enough and me trying wasn’t
a man, and be like a man. I changed my entire
worth the embarrassment. In my head, boys
personality. I suppressed the enthusiastic and
were naturally better programmers just like they
bubbly me, for fear that guys would consider it
were naturally better at sports. I thought
childish. Instead, I became terse, assertive, and,
femininity was inferior. That’s what my
on occasion, harsh. I figured this was what it
American upbringing told me and above all
would take for me to be one of the top dogs in
that’s what my Ukrainian culture and Russian
the two male dominated spheres that I wanted
community raised me to believe. And it’s what
to pursue: business and engineering.
the tech world verified for me.
44 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
After going to such an extreme emotionally and
I started questioning, do I have to be a guy to
physically, it was only in the last month of 11th
succeed? Can I be a woman and successful
grade, when it was time to buy summer clothing,
at the same time? I realized how much I
that I realized how much I missed being a woman.
appreciated being a feminine. I loved feeling
I had forgotten how much I loved shopping, trying on clothes, and feeling beautiful. And I didn’t want to hide anymore; I wanted to feel sexy in the clothing I wore, and I wanted the world to see me and see how good I felt.That same summer I did a program called LaunchX, during which students built the foundations for a company over the span of a month. While there, I was one of four girls who had STEM experience and the only to have mechanical engineering experience. The atmosphere of the program focused on students’ unique abilities and the value they add.I soon realized that being a female mechanical engineer
beautiful and sexy again. I was slowly starting to love being a woman in STEM. I embraced every bit of myself. I let my bubbly personality permeate through. I allowed myself to be excited. In fact, I loved being excited and seeing how my excitement triggered a domino effect on the people around me. To me, being a woman in STEM wasn’t about accepting male culture, it became about starting a female culture that is synonymous with engineering.While embracing my femininity, I had something to take away from my extreme experience. As a Junior, I needed to learn to be professional and concise when
was the value I was bringing to the program. I
communicating, and my experience gave me
was beginning to love where my value was
the opportunity to do that. I toned down the
coming from. I loved it because it was the result
level of harshness and morphed my skill into
of the years of hard work and challenges that it
its current feminized form. I did the same with
took to acquire it. I earned my value. Seeing how
my assertiveness. I absorbed every positive
respected my skills made me among my male
skill and trait I could, to mold myself into the
peers at the program, I wholeheartedly accepted
best me.Now, as a Senior in High School, I
being both a woman and an engineer.This small
realized that me being a woman in STEM, me
acceptance is what propelled me to participate
daring to defy society, is badass and
in all female hackathons or women’s programs where I began celebrating being a woman. By attending multiple events, hackathons, and programs in my senior year, I began celebrating my femininity and with that, I realized just how powerful it is. I began appreciating everything Girls Who Code still does for me and regretting that I didn’t embrace the beautiful and empowering energy of the summer program.
powerful. Realizing my professional and personal successes has made me accomplished and proud of myself. Above all, I am grateful to be a woman in STEM because my struggle of overcoming a societally induced gender identity is just one example of the resilience that only women are strong enough to have. P.S. Take a look at “Purl”, a Pixar Short, that perfectly illustrates my story.
45 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
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INSTAGRAM: @KARINA.POPOVICH WEBSITE: KARINAPOPOVICH.COM
What inspired you to create a business in a STEM field? I’ve always liked tech, so when I first started out I was taking marketing and writing classes. I was working in the city during the time right before the heyday of the internet so I took all these tech classes so that I would be able to do a little bit of programming, a little bit of graphic design. I landed a job working at one of the biggest Internet companies, so it was really exciting. I
INTERVIEW WITH BONNIE LIEBERMAN CZUKOSKI CO-OWNER OF ROBOT REVOLUTION, LLC
realized there that that was the direction I wanted to go in. I also grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My dad, although at first a lawyer, fell into engineering as a career. He also liked to invent things as a hobby.
How has your definition of success changed throughout your career? I think success for everyone is different, but for me it’s just sort of a piece of mind. Looking back on my past jobs and experiences, I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t successful at anything. I think it is important to not
Interviewed by Melanie Herbert and Molly
look back on life viewing yourself as not being
Cantillon from GirlTechBoss Layout Design by Athena Yao
successful. No matter what situation or job I was in, I always worked my hardest and strived to be the best I could.
Bonnie is the owner of Robot Revolution LLC in Summit and soon to be Edison, New Jersey, which runs classes and competitions to introduce kids and teens to robotics. She has a background in journalism and political science from Rutgers University. Not only is Bonnie interested in business, but she is also passionate about technology and supporting young female engineers and entrepreneurs. Learn about Bonnie's journey, from starting off as a writer to running her own technology company!
47 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
48 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
What is the funniest thing you have seen at your job? We have a lot of fun at Robot Revolution. The instructors are always experimenting and building new things just because it is cool or to laugh at. Robot Revolution is located in downtown Summit next to a bunch of retail businesses and I noticed that stores like to put a little dog water bowls outside. I thought it would be fun to do something like that too. So one of the instructors made a robotic dog and dog bowl. We put blue robotics pins in the dog bowl and engineered it so that it would move like water.
What advice would you give to aspiring female tech entrepreneurs? When I first started working for a big internet company, and that job was sort of my dream job at the time, I had to learn new skills. I took technical classes at NYU and was able to
"I think success for everyone is different, but for me it’s just sort of a piece of mind...No matter what situation or job I was in, I always worked my hardest and strived to be the best I could."
apply by learning to my job. I think the biggest piece of advice that I learned from my experiences is not to feel afraid to learn new skills. When shifting to a new job, you might have to learn new things. It is important to embrace the new skills and not feel afraid.
Photos from some of Robot Revolution's robotics classes!
WHY WE INCLUDE ART
STEM is an acronym that is used to
According to Anne Jolly in Education
represent four academic disciplines—
Week
Science,
Engineering,
struggle to find ways to integrate art
and Mathematics. It is used as a way
into their lessons without shifting the
to promote these fields in education
focus away from STEM, which would
as
STEM
defeat the whole purpose of a STEM-
are
oriented teaching style. “The focus of
many
teaches
Technology,
people
argue
children
that
skills
that
necessary in the twenty-first century.
STEM
However,
and
there
is
another
acronym
Teacher,
is
many
developing
science
rigorous
skills
through
engineering,”
which
you focus on other subjects (such as
There should
is
a
be
the
Arts
into
debate
on
added
into
the
mix.
whether the
Art
STEM
acronym. Why is that—why does the
art)
without
STEM
or
writes,
math
that is less commonly known: STEAM, adds
she
educators
losing
watering
the
down
“How
mission its
can
of
primary
purpose?”
STEAM vs. STEM dilemma exist?
49 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
LAYOUT BY SALMA ALROWAIE
STEAM VS STEM Many people believe a separation between the arts and the sciences is needed, as STEM subjects have always been involved in a constant struggle to keep students engaged. Again, the number one worry is that by promoting STEAM instead of STEM, the focus will shift too much into Art and leave the other letters with little attention.
However, it does not have to be this way. STEAM should be seen as combining art and STEM together to spark creativity and innovation in STEM projects. Zendaya’s MET Gala 2019 outfit displays such creativity in STEM as it used technology to light her Cinderella dress with a flick of the wand, literally. Anna Feldman, an educator who majored in Economics, was always told that Art spectrums
and STEM were entirely separate
that would never meet. Then, she took a college class called “Product Design”
which involved “problem solving, collaborating, and generating ideas, math without thinking about the numbers, from scaling to modeling products to meticulously drafting prototypes with precise angles and measurements”. Such skills are often attributed to STEM classes, but can be found and taught in a variety of other subjects. Moreover, defining principles such as ethics and empathy, which are often lacking in STEM education, can be provided by art education. But how do
ethics
and
empathy
matter
in
a
world
full
of
statistics and mechanics? As STEM fields become more and more advanced and scientists begin to come up with
solutions
question
of
how
comes into play.
GRAPHIC BY ALAINAH CABRADILLA 50 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
to
society’s these
biggest
changes
will
problems, affect
the
humans
HTAM
ECNEICS
Events
such
as
the
Chinese
government
curating an almost Big Brother technology and the possibility of gene editing require not just the skills of a scientist or engineer but
also
the
moral
principles
of
a
just,
normal human being. As Richard Lachman states,
these
“fundamentally
just
don't
technological
become issues”
but
ethical ones as well. These issues can be raised
and
debated
through
literature,
social sciences, and the Arts. For example, Lachman describes the Finland department of
experimentation,
which
aims
to
“bring
design-thinking experimentation into policy work.” These workers have to “be engaged” with
their
coworkers,
with
their
customers
and clients, and with the citizens.
ART
Art should not be neglected, as it is just as important as STEM in many aspects of life. From the Fibonacci series in seashells to the golden ratio in trees and flowers, both art and
science
are
present
around
us.
It
is
essential to have just as much knowledge
51 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
YGOLONHCET
56
GNIREENIGNE
about the arts as about the STEM fields. In the end, it is definitely not about whether the
arts
and
humanities
should
be
correlated with STEM or not. It is about how an individual can get a quality education that can prepare him or her or them to a be well rounded member of society that has the ability to make decisions that would benefit the world at large in the long run. Perhaps, it is STEAM over STEM, isn’t it?
"develop interests and share
them with your community." GRAPHIC BY ALICE ZHANG 52 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
Meet Lara Palombi Artist and Aspiring Astrophysicist from New York
Interviewed by Rebecca Kanter Layout Design by Athena Yao Graphic by Esmé Sacks
Above: Lara at work on a science project.
How can your passion for art and astrophysics help each other in the future?
She is building an acoustic levitator that will be able to levitate styrofoam with sound!
Art and astrophysics, to me, are more alike than one would think. In anatomy class, prior to drawing a live model, we study the bone and muscle structures underneath the skin. This is because in order to know how to draw a figure accurately, we must first understand what is happening beneath
"To have a fuller and more complex view of reality, we must first understand the mechanisms behind reality. This is where physics come in."
the skin. With science, I think of it in a similar manner. To have a fuller and more complex view of reality, we must first understand the mechanisms
Museums, more often than not, offer
behind reality. This is where physics come in. (A
amazing resources where students can
good book on how art and perception of beauty translate into physics is ‘A Beautiful Question’ by Frank Wilczek).
learn more about a field and even engage in high school research. also heard that to be a physicist, a knowledge of coding is crucial. So, I did Girls Who Code over the
What advice would you give to other aspiring astrophysicists? I am still a high school student who is hoping to major in physics in college, so I am not sure if I am qualified to give advice. However, this is what I have been doing to hopefully push myself farther ahead in the game: I take classes at the American Museum of Natural History, and I also recently completed the Science Research Mentoring Program.
summer. This program taught me Python which assisted me greatly in the research program.
From talking to an astrophysicist at the Alfred University Astronomy Camp, I learned that mathematics are also incredibly important. He said to take as much math as possible in high school and college, as a strong math base will assist you greatly in astrophysics. I received a lot of advice simply by asking questions and doing a LOT of Googling.
53 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
How did you get involved in research?
About Me Full Name: Lara Palombi Preferred Pronouns: She/her Grade: 12th Where I'm From: Bronx, NY
After Googling things like “How to be a physicist,” I realized that it was very helpful to be involved in High School research. So, I then googled, “high school research programs NYC.” This is how I discovered the Science Research Mentoring Program. I completed the prerequisite programs, applied, and was accepted.
"When I do art, I enter the zone. When I am painting, I am focusing on whatever I am doing - but I am also thinking about a million different things at once. My mind is flowing freely and I don’t really notice time passing, and I’m not really focusing on art, but it is the most focused I can be."
What resources have helped you the most as an artist and astrophysicist? I found that the museum was an incredible resource for me to have. Local colleges also sometimes give outreach lectures, which are also helpful. To be honest, the most helpful resource for me at least, was Google. This is where I was able to discover the programs, lectures, and internships. There are also a ton of websites and YouTube videos that have interviews of astrophysicists. It was helpful to read the interviews and figure out how other people got to the place that I want to be.
Presenting the acoustic levitator at her school’s science fair! 54 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
In what way do you think science and art are similar? When someone is drawing for the first time, the drawing is generally skewed, disproportionate, and inaccurate. However, as the person draws more and more, the drawings become more and more accurate. As you know, the person is not training their hand, but their eye. As one studies art more, they see reality more vividly, as they are trained to be more attentive to detail. Science also trains you to be attentive to detail. Science teachers you about the underlying mechanisms of reality. By having a greater understanding of these mechanisms, one is also
Above: Lara (on right) presenting her astrophysics research
able to see life more vividly, as well. So, in that
project from the Science Research Mentoring Program at
sense, science and art are very similar.
How has your art influenced you?
the American Museum of Natural History.
In a way, physics allows you to enter another reality. Despite the face that it is real and in our
When I do art, I enter the zone. When I am
reality, it is often difficult to conceptualize many
painting, I am focusing on whatever I am doing -
aspects of physics. This separates our reality from
but I am also thinking about a million different
physics, when, in fact, physics IS reality. I find it
things at once. My mind is flowing freely and I
easier to conceptualize physics as something that
don’t really notice time passing, and I’m not really
is a part of our reality, as I already understand
focusing on art, but it is the most focused I can be.
how it feels to be in this world and enter another
It’s hard to describe being in the zone, but I’m sure
reality through the zone.
most people have experienced it. The timeless awareness of being involved in something, whether it be art, music, writing, swimming, or even playing a video game. Anyway, the point is that you almost seem to enter another version of your brain, or even a different reality when you enter the zone.
GRAPHIC BY ESME SACKS 55 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
acoustic levitation
made by lara 56 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
WHY STUDY MATHEMATICS? Written by Billiejean Staggs and Caroline Andrade Layout Design by Athena Yao Photo by Tran Le | Graphics by Esme Sacks
"Mathematics is a subject that allows you to expand your vision of the world. When someone sees an airplane, they might just be seeing some metal tube flying high, but, when a mathematician sees a plane, they are visualizing all the small, complex things that make it possible for an airplane to fly."
A question often arises among those who
Does the name Ava Lovelace sound familiar?
are fascinated with the more logistical
Lovelace was a female mathematician born in 19th-century
sides of life. What exactly does the study of mathematics entail, and why is it so important study it?
England. Despite the animosity surrounding working women of her era, she became an inventor. Through ingenuity and pure work ethic, she created the first basic computer, decades before its time.
Mathematics is the study of quantity,
Actress Hedy Lemarr is similar in many respects. Despite being
structure, space and change. As abstract
known for her provocative movies, Lamarr pioneered unique radio
as that may seem, math is, at its core, a quest for absolutes, definitive solutions
transmissions that eventually lead to the creation of modern wifi. These two women may have been lost in much of history, but their achievements have remained.
and answers. You may think of long numeric chains, seas of fractions or
And what about Elena Cornaro Piscopia? According to the article
spreadsheets stacked with figures, but
'11 Amazing Women in Mathematics History' from thoughtco.com,
what many don't realize is that math's
"She was a child prodigy who studied many languages, composed
complex equations are in fact roads to
music, sang and played many instruments, and learned philosophy,
simplicity. As Dale Stokdyk, Assistant Vice President of Product Marketing at Southern New Hampshire University, states in his article 'Importance of
mathematics and theology. Her doctorate, a first, was from the University of Padua, where she studied theology. She became a lecturer there in mathematics.� All of these women accomplished amazing things in the field of mathematics and deserve to be more frequently studied.
Mathematics and Why We Study It,' "Believers in better, faster, smarter solutions are often drawn to math.�
57 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
Why study math today?
Education is what makes it possible for us to really understand and learn the unique subject of mathematics. In elementary and middle school, teachers present to kids this new language—numbers—and teach them how to manipulate them in order to solve simple daily problems. Then students get to high school, where all the math becomes harder and more complex. This is when many people start disliking mathematics, because they suddenly can’t understand or solve problems at this level. In this phase of education, students start worrying about college entrance exams and doing well enough to get into their dream college or university, and doing poorly in math certainly doesn’t help things.
Have you watched the movie Hidden Figures? If you haven’t yet, you should—this movie is based on a true story, and it shows one of the many applications of math. It highlights Katherine Johnson, one of the women responsible for the main math sequences in the NASA moon landing project during the Space Race. She helped
In summary, the math used in education has mainly been aimed at teaching kids and teenagers how to solve problems using formulas and numbers. Of course, you need to understand the workings of math problems, but too often, the focus is on memorization of patterns and using a set order of steps to solve problems.
to make it possible for the astronauts to reach space and, inevitably, the moon. Mathematics was directly related to the trajectory of the space capsule, from Earth to open space. Can you imagine how important it was for the calculus calculations to be on the dot for the capsule to land at just the right angle?
A lot of teenagers go directly to college after high school, and it is very likely that many of them will struggle with the transition from high school math to college math. This may happen due to the way that math was taught in their high schools. Before, all they had to do was solve some problems. Now, they actually have to comprehend this complex language. In college, you are asked to understand the actual concepts and workings of math in addition to the situations in which it’s been used before analyzing and solving the problems.
If you are thinking of pursuing a degree in mathematics, do not be worried that there are a lack of career options for this path because there are a ton. Some opportunities include jobs as Statisticians, Operations Research Analysts, Financial and Business Analysts, Accountants, and Digital Analysts. If you take Computer Science classes in college, you can also work in the field of technology to design or refine mobile and web apps. And, of course, there is the option of being a Professor, Researcher or Teacher, whose main job is to give us a better understanding of the world as we know it.
Nowadays, only a relatively small percentage of people truly comprehend what a major in mathematics has to offer in terms of jobs and opportunities. After all, math is not usually discussed in social media or on TV, as it is
So, why should you study mathematics? Well, for one, its
usually not a relevant topic in breaking news or casual
scope extends far beyond classes and exams—it is a part
stories. Thus, not many people know how important
of your life through almost everything that surrounds you,
math really is in the real world, as it has a very
from electronic to simple devices that guarantee more
academic connotation.
comfortable and efficient living. In terms of a career, it gives you the opportunity to be involved in loads of
Many people ask what you can do for a living by
exciting discoveries and innovations.
studying math. Well, there are a ton of possibilities since math is everywhere. The generic thinking about math
Mathematics is a subject that allows you to expand your
today is often related to math competitions and
vision of the world. When someone sees an airplane, they
unsolved math theorems, but too little is known about its
might just be seeing some metal tube flying high, but,
purpose in the real world.
when a mathematician sees a plane, they are visualizing all the small, complex things that make it possible for an airplane to fly.
58 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
final note
Shivali Gulati
How do you show support for your community?
| I show support for
Nhiyhana Nutter
| I show support
Xueyi Lu
| I show support for my
my community by providing free
for my community by bringing
community by regularly volunteering
Coding lessons for students,
underrepresented groups into light
to do community service as part of
volunteering at Hackathons, and
and giving them a platform where
an NGO. I prioritize forming
helping my school run debate
they can truly succeed and learn.
connections with the other students
tournaments.
in my neighborhood. I also dedicate
Audrey Kim Andrea Gonzalez
| I show support
| I show support
myself to charitable causes through
through my community by giving
raising my voice to spread
for my community by providing
back through volunteer work. I’ve
awareness and donating what I can
opportunities for students to learn
been a TA for a local Girls Who
donate.
about their interests and to have
Code club, a food distributor at a
the ability to pursue them.
food bank, and a member of many beach cleanup parties.
Nayanika Singha Chowdhury
| I
Carolina Robledo Velini de Andrade | I show support for
my
community by participating in
show support for my community by
Abby Liang
being an advocate for child rights
community by volunteering and
school tutoring, women
and their education.I try eradicating
promoting STEAM education, such
empowerment and sharing
child labor through awareness
as teaching young girls to create a
opportunities for those that are not
drives,virtual activism and donating
website and leading food drives.
likely to have access to them. Also,
| I show support for my
stationary and clothes to children
volunteer projects related to high
by showing support to all my friends
who have been denied the right to
Ayushi Malhotra
live a normal childhood.I am trying
for my community by encouraging
with personal, academic or work
to bridge the gap between the
discourse and equality through TEDx
issues.
privileged and the less privileged
and a student organization that
students in my community.
empowers young girls.
| I show support
and colleagues that are struggling
LAYOUT BY ABBY LIANG 59 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
final note Rajvee Patel
| I show support for my community by volunteering at my
local library and encouraging young girls to join Speech & Debate club where their voices and concerns can be heard on political issues.
Sneha Pullanoor
| I show support for my community by educating girls
and conducting workshops to be cybersafe, tutoring students for free, fundraising for a local NGO by selling my artworks, and contributing virtually to organisations which support a noble cause.
Varshini Gopinathan
| I show support for my community by voicing out
opinions of the students at my school through our school’s radio station and by creating several Service as Action plans to help those in need for a greater cause.
Lexie Peltola
| I show support for my community by volunteering in my
local library Teen Advisory Board, where we help put together community events for kids and teens to be more immersed in the world of books. I also volunteer at events such as Diabetes walks, Special Olympics, and homeless shelters, as well as fundraising for local charities and small businesses.
Athena Yao |
I show support for my community by volunteering as a
member of Key Club, serving as a TA at my Chinese school, and running my school's Minds Matter Club. Whether through providing a helping hand around the community or encouraging my friends and cross country/track teammates, I always aim to uplift those around me.
Izzy Lapidus
| I show support for my community by aiding my friends in
achieving their highest potentials and finding their passions. I aim to be a reliable voice when it comes to ‘doing the right thing’ for my friends and fellow peers. I hope to be of inspiration to those around me, an example of someone who has goals and strives to achieve them, no matter the circumstance.
Esther Duong
| I show support for my community by seeking
opportunities to volunteer and help my city and fellow students around me.
90+ Girls, A Strong Community For All LAYOUT BY SHIVALI GULATI 60 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
APPLY FOR ISSUE THREE Are you a female high school or college student interested in Science, Technology, Design, Creative Writing, Engineering, or Mathematics? If so, Girl Genius Magazine is the place for you. Girl Genius is an online magazine created by aspiring girls in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) that provides a platform for girls to learn about women in STEAM, showcase their own projects, and connect with girls nationwide. We are looking for female change-makers interested in spreading education and awareness of the STEAM fields to girls from all over the world through our magazine.
Application Process Learn About Positions: https://tinyurl.com/ggpositions Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/girlgeniusissue3.
If you have any questions, the best way to contact us is at girlgeniusmagazine@gmail.com.
Thank you, Girl Genius Magazine
61 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
LAYOUT BY SHIVALI GULATI
GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE TEAM
THANK YOU FOR READING ISSUE II! YOU ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY
62 | GIRL GENIUS MAGAZINE
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