A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak at a TechWomen Ambassadors Week event held at the White Mountain Community College campus in Berlin, NH. The event, titled “STEMspiration – inspiring girls to explore STEM careers” targeted 9th grade girls in the region, and hosted a variety of speakers to share their career experiences and show a variety of possible paths available in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics based fields (STEM). This is the second year the Observatory was asked to present, and it was a great experience!

 

After describing what life was like living and working up on the summit of Mount Washington, I talked a bit about the daily duties required of the staff on the summit, including volunteers, interns, and observers, and finally about how my educational background and subsequent career path landed me up here on the summit. A question and answer session followed, before another presenter took the stage.

 

Overall, the experience was a positive one, and I hope I was able to present the case for considering a career in STEM! Education in STEM-based fields does more than set you up for just one specific career path; it gives you a toolbox of skills that can be readily adapted to a variety of situations and fields, including the ability to diagnose, identify, and pose solutions for problems, and think not only about the small details, but maintain a good perspective on the overall problem at hand, and I hope I was successfully able to convey that message to the girls present at the event. In conclusion, I’d like to extend a thank you to Carol Miller, who coordinated the event, as well as to White Mountain Community College, for hosting the event.