Women have made an incredible impact throughout history and they continue to today; from Marie Curie to Malala Yousafzai, women have changed the world for the better. Even though people such as Curie and Yousafzai are well known in today’s society, there are still many more impactful women that have gone unnoticed. At WA, the Women in STEM Club has dedicated itself to commemorating Women’s History Month.
Women are celebrated throughout March ever since it was presidentially proclaimed as Women’s History Month in 1987. Although it has been only 38 years since the official proclamation, many women continue to honor the important women that have come before. These women have made it possible to move forward and have ensured women today have the opportunities that they have.
This month, Women in STEM is focused on learning about women who were historically involved in the STEM field and deserve recognition. According to the club’s junior president Veronica Sun, earlier this month, the club talked about Dr. Nettie Stevens, a geneticist known for discovering the X and Y chromosomes. They specifically spoke about Stevens because she is a WA alumni who was part of the graduating class of 1880. Stevens is a prime example of how WA alumni have made huge impacts on the world and how current students can too.
“Women’s History Month is important to our club’s cabinet because it is an opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments,” Sun said. “Historically, women’s work and actions in male-dominated fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math have gone unrecognized. This month represents their achievements and how they have helped pave the way for women today.”
To celebrate all women in STEM, the club will be featuring a different woman every month on their bulletin board in the biology hallway. Not only will this acknowledge women’s accomplishments during March, but it will also educate students on different women who are involved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics year-round.
According to Women in STEM’s junior vice president, Sahana Venkatraman, statistics from 2023 show that only 31% of the STEM workforce is made up of women. This fact is partially why Women in STEM was created, as they want that percentage to go up in the future.
During the club’s weekly meetings on Tuesdays in room 110, the club does many different kinds of experiments. From baking cookies to making plastic out of milk, the Women in STEM members are always increasing their knowledge with each of the experiments.
“We make sure to explain the science behind each experiment so that the members are learning something new each meeting while having fun in a laid-back environment,” Venkatraman said.
Throughout the past year, the club has seen a significant increase in attendees and they want to continue to be a welcoming space for girls to discuss their interest in STEM. When Sun and Venkatraman first joined the club their freshman year of high school, they were both interested in STEM already and were looking for a space to share their interests with other girls. According to Sun, one of the reasons she joined was because of the variety of discussions, guest speakers, and activities the club offered to further explore the different aspects of STEM.
