In late February, 15 young Dade Christian School ladies from grades 9-11 were selected to participate in the University of Miami's Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.
The girls, who were nominated by their teachers, have excelled in the subjects of math and science and demonstrated an interest in pursuing a degree in engineering. Accompanied by secondary teacher, Samantha Carrillo, the day began at the UM Student Activities Center where the attendees received an introduction to engineering and an overview of UM’s program.
“Visiting colleges as a high school student motivates you to do better in school,” said 9th-grader Emily Gonzalez. While most students her age are still adjusting to the academic demands of high school, Emily already knows where and what she wants to study.
“During the summer before my freshmen year, I interned at the University of Miami and learned to program in Java C++, a coding language,” said Gonzalez. “There, I got acquainted with a girl who attends Stanford [University]. That’s where I want to go to study computer engineering.”
The students, who were divided into groups based on their engineering interests, met with university professors and participated in labs. In the civil engineering lab the girls were assigned the same project incoming freshmen at UM complete - they had 30 minutes to create a bridge that can sustain 5 lbs of weignt using only K'NEX pieces. Other stations included circuit board creations, as well as various experiments utilized by engineers.
Fellow 9th-grader Gianna Rodriguez enjoyed learning about the biomedical engineering field and networking with girls from other schools who share her passion for science. “It was a nice experience, it really broadened my perspective on what engineering actually is,” said Rodriguez.
“During winter break I interned at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center under renowned doctors. I got to participate in research, look at cancer cells under a microscope and classify them. I’m definitely thinking about [a degree in] biomedical engineering.”
From beginning to end, the entire day was filled with positive messages of encouragement and female empowerment. As stated in a recent University of Miami news release, “Engineering is still a male-dominated field,” said UM biomedical engineering major Stacie Arechavala, who, as the high school outreach coordinator for the UM chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, organized Thursday’s event. “We’re helping these girls learn about a fascinating field that can positively affect lives and change the world.”