I first joined the club two years ago on a busy morning when I accidentally entered the wrong classroom. I had come in early to ask my teacher a question about a project but had somehow found myself in the room next door, seated next to one of my friends. In front of me was a speaker with a projector presentation glowing behind her, and she spoke animatedly about her educational journey up to where she was that day. Not but a few minutes later, I learned that I was situated in the middle of a Women in STEM meeting, listening to someone from NASA speaking about her past.

I immediately fell in love, gravitating toward the club and finding myself at home with the other young women around me, feeling empowered just like me. Women in STEM's president Isa Kessinger and officer Madhurya Gajula explained how the club's goal of promoting all STEM-leaning high schoolers to follow their dreams is changing future STEM generations.

"Having to figure everything out on your own is no easy feat, but girls at our school no longer have that problem anymore," Kessinger explained. "I've seen them make friend groups within this club with girls of similar interests or receive mentoring on how to write a resume, where to find tutoring or how to approach internship opportunities. The purpose of Women in STEM is to inform girls of all possible STEM related careers and to support and empower them to be successful in their field."

The club has one to two monthly meetings, and they stand out for one huge reason: people hear from female speakers who have made strides in the STEM field. In almost every meeting, one speaker comes in to talk about her experiences in a diversifying, science-driven world, and inspiration hangs in the air. Every person in the room feels a sense of awe at the achievements of the person sitting in front of them, and it only motivates everyone there to do just the same.

So considering the trend of women succeeding in the STEM field was growing rapidly, what was her reason for starting Women in STEM at Alpharetta High School?

"As I progressed into more difficult STEM classes, I noticed how few girls were progressing with me. However, I also recognized how many girls in our school had an aptitude for these subjects but were just discouraged by their lack of resources to handle this difficult course load. I wanted to encourage them to do what they loved," she replied, her dedication to the club apparent in every word.

Of course, titling the club by such a name had to have received mixed reviews; because of how the club's name seemed to lean toward females, there must have been some backlash from others regarding the exclusivity in the name's connotation.

"A lot of people have the misconception that our club is just for women because it's called Women In STEM," Gajula highlighted. "...Our club is open to people of all genders and races because our purpose is to promote minority genders (especially girls) and races by giving them the resources to be successful in whatever field they choose."

"There was definitely strong backlash at the beginning with it being an all-girls club and whether that was fair or not," Kessinger added. "Many boys felt this gave girls an unfair leg-up in school, but the point of the organization is to promote equality."

According to the duo, since its inception, male membership "has grown extensively" to the point where it has increased to "over 100% of [their] expected number," and there are even more plans in the future to expand membership across the board. Speaking of future plans, the new year brings the next steps for Women in STEM, and Gajula noted that much focus is being placed on promoting male membership and growing the club overall.

Overall, Women in STEM stands out against all other clubs at Alpharetta High School through its ability to attract people of all backgrounds who appreciate STEM. In the words of Gajula, Women in STEM "focuses exclusively on empowering [its] members."

Women in STEM represents diversity mixed with common identity. Every time I sit in a classroom with high schoolers around me waiting for the meeting to begin, I see something charged in the air, some kind of willingness to do great things.

As Kessinger perfectly summarized, "[Women in STEM's empowerment] spans through any gender, any race and all parts of the LGBTQ+ community, which I think is the best part of this club. All kinds of people with a hundred different perspectives come together because of a common interest and a desire for a better world."