Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – In honor of Women’s History Month, during the month of March, Texas Southmost College celebrated women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with “STEM is your Superpower,” a series of community events for all ages.
“We want to encourage everyone to pursue STEM careers, but more so young girls and women because opportunities are increasing and they’re in demand,” said TSC Mathematics Instructor Roxana Jimenez. “STEM careers have a stigma, that they’re only for men, but there are plenty of women leading successful careers and we want to bring awareness to that.”
The first event in “STEM is your Superpower,” was a virtual panel that included four speakers: Carolina Civarolo, registered architect, LEED Accredited Professional and founder/partner of ORANGE MADE architecture studio; Elizabeth Solis, manufacturing engineer at Lockheed Martin; Marija Jette, communication, outreach and science visualization and founding member of the South Texas Astronomical Society (STARS); and Adriana Myers, software developer and project manager at The Pinnacle Corp S.R.L.
Each panelist shared their stories and journeys, discussed career insights, why STEM is important and participated in a question-and-answer session.
“Each panelist is a great example, an inspiration, of what it means to find success in STEM fields,” said Jimenez. “They gave our audience great advice and guidance on what it takes to study and train for these types of careers. Their lessons are invaluable.”
To continue inspiring the future generations of STEM professionals, TSC also hosted an in-person event – Fantastic Friday.
The event consisted of several hands-on experiments from test driving a robotic rover and construction workshops to computer engineering, chemistry and physics.
The most popular experiment for those in attendance was the Orion Splashdown, in which future NASA engineers designed and constructed a watertight capsule that would protect an astronaut (marshmallow) from getting wet.
“To really inspire, there needs to be hands-on experiences. This is what plants that seed at an early age and engages interest in STEM,” said Jimenez. “It’s all about exposure and building confidence. These experiments and projects did just that.”
Both events were well attended with more than 100 children and their families and college students participating.
“These events continue to grow annually and it’s great to see everyone engaged and having fun with STEM,” said Jimenez. “There are so many people at TSC that make this event possible, so garnering this much excitement is a success and we can’t wait to see our future STEM leaders succeed.”
To learn more about TSC’s STEM programs, visit tsc.edu.
