A STEM aficionado and one of only two women in her pre-engineering class, Sophomore Vivian Smozynski often faces discrimination and ridicule from men in the field. Wanting to create a safe space where women can feel empowered to express their passions without facing negativity, she was inspired to create South Lakes’ first Women in STEM club.
Only 34% of STEM careers in America are occupied by women. The root cause of this statistic is harmful stereotypes associating these careers with masculine qualities, which discourage girls and women from pursuing education and careers in these fields.
“I’ve heard things like ‘this is a man’s job’ or ‘this field is for men’ and that’s not true. I really wanted to create a place where people like myself and people that I know can feel safe and empowered to believe what they want and to express their passion for [STEM] without facing that [negativity],” said Smozynski.
Starting in March, Smozynski has big plans for her club. One of her main goals is to open up opportunities for students to learn more about different STEM fields, and she plans to teach lessons, host guest speakers, and work with other South Lakes STEM clubs and organizations in the community. Among all of her plans, Smozynski hopes that her club will continue to be a safe space for all of her members.
“I want to focus on making it a comfortable and non-intimidating environment by holding sessions to learn and also having open discussions. I want the members of the club to be in control and be able to speak their mind,” she said.
In order to help members get more exposure to different branches of STEM, Smozynski is excited to inform students of volunteer work or internships with places like the Air and Space Museum or Reston Hospital. An aspiring aerospace engineer herself, she also plans to hold information sessions about NASA.
Smozynski would also like to educate members about the different STEM-related programs offered at South Lakes.
“I’d like to hold information sessions on the different honors societies or math classes offered at our school to help students who don’t know where or what to pursue through their highschool years,” she said.
Smonzynski aspires for her club to support members in many ways, but her main goal is to fuel the passion of STEM that her members have that the male-dominated field can sometimes extinguish.
“I hope that my club can impact young women by letting them know that it’s okay to be passionate about these things, and that even if they face negativity for it, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If this club can help just one woman at this school and help her feel more comfortable and encourage her to believe in herself and keep going, then I’ll know that I did something good,” she said.
If you are interested in learning more about the Women in STEM club, their interest meeting will be held after school on March 5 in room 150.
