First and foremost, you can do absolutely anything you set your mind to. It will take work, you will get nowhere in life without putting your best foot forward and pushing onward, but you will make it. One way or another, you will reach your dreams, and achieve the goals you set for yourself.
As women, we are not always seen as making great strides in mathematics or sciences, and yet we do. Every day we have new women entering these tough fields and making a difference. There are strong women in science fields and there always will be a growing number of us in these careers. They may not have predicted gravity waves in the early 1900s, but they were there when they were discovered in 2015 by LIGO.
I remember in elementary school I absolutely loved my math and science classes. My teachers were hands on, and gave us tasks that we could actually see what we were learning. We would go on field trips to science museums that had hands-on exhibits.
In high school it was the same way. We did the classic egg drop experiments for physics, and made slime in chemistry class. In Biology we were allowed to explore outside the school to identify insects and plants.
All of my high school science teachers were women. They knew that, by showing us the wonders of the world around us, we would be inspired to take a larger part in all that we have.
Throughout my public school experiences, I was always pushed to do more than I thought I could achieve. I worked ahead in most classes, especially my senior year. Most seniors take it easy, knowing they’re already going to college or have a job lined up, but I was different. My physics teacher, Mrs. L, always gave me the next lesson knowing I would have them done weekly when the class was taking two to three weeks to finish them.
When it came time to narrow down which college I wanted to pledge the next four years of my life to, it was difficult. I wanted a hands-on program and a lovely scholarship to get me there. Every school I was accepted to I took a tour of, and they all left a different impression on me.
The first college I toured had an overnight program that allowed you to sit in on potential classes (classes that were chosen for you beforehand based on the major you told them you were intending to be). That day I sat in on a Math Methods of Physics class, a class that you typically see during your fourth semester.
Upon walking in the class I saw a very large room with only three men and a professor. The professor looked absolutely startled, he asked me which room I was looking. When I told him I was supposed to sit in on this particular class he still seemed unnerved.
The next class I sat in on was Thermodynamics, another upper level course on the physics track. The same three guys were in the room, and they watched the professor ask me the same questions. “Which room are you looking for?” “Are you sure you’re here for a physics class?”
I did not end up at that college.
The other tours I went on left a better taste in my mouth. They were welcoming, and let me sit in on first year classes so I could see where I would be starting my college career.
Presently I am entering my third year as Physics Major at Stetson University. Each year I have watched the classes for my major shrink. We started with more than thirty men and women. This past semester I was the only woman with six impressive men.
I love being in a smaller class with such hard material. There is always a support system whether it is my fellow students or the professors themselves. Someone is always available to help me when I get stuck.
Best of all, I am just a student when I am in class or needing help. To these wonderful men I call close friends or professors, they treat me just like another student. I am more than just the only girl in the room, I am a student and I cannot feel more grateful for being seen for my achievements and not the dresses I wear.
