Why We Need Women in STEM

Hear my SHEro story about why I picked a STEM field to study in college and why I think every woman and girl should feel empowered to study these subjects. #StrengthHasNoGender

The SHEro stories in The Strength Has No Gender™ campaign have inspired me and I am grateful to contribute too. I don’t often get very personal here but I really feel strongly about the importance of women in our STEM fields and for this reason I want to share my story.

Let’s first talk about what a SHEro is! A SHEro is a courageous, strong, selfless and resilient woman. She has broken through with amazing actions. She’ll stand up for what she believes is right. A SHEro puts others before herself. A SHEro’s will is greater than her obstacles. She not only faces adversity, but thrives. I know we all have a SHEro story to share and I want to hear yours!

My Experience Studying Math

I have always been a naturally curious girl: problem solving and analyzing data. No specific teacher really encouraged me to take the STEM path but I’m so glad I did. For those of you who don’t know. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. These subjects are often mainly represented by men and there is really no reason for that, except we believed that men had more capacity in those fields. The truth is, women are just as capable as studying and excelling in these subjects as men.

When I started studying Math I didn’t recognize the lack of women representation. I was in the basic calculus courses and would say there were equal men and women at the time. By the time I moved into ‘proofs’ classes or Discrete Mathematics and Differential Equations, I was all of a sudden one of three girls. Why? I have no idea! Women in my Calculus classes were just as capable as me. Did they just not enjoy it the way I did?

This is not to say from that point going forward, everything was simple. I worked really hard on my degree. I was told the only reason I did well on tests was because the teacher thought I was cute. Then, I was told when I didn’t do well that it was because I was predisposed to not understand it the way men could.

What We Can Do to Change the Stigma of Math

Diversity in these fields will only make the field stronger. I do believe men and women think and problem solve differently which is exactly why we need women studying these things! One of the very first software developers was Ada Lovelace, a feisty, out of the box problem solver who didn’t let people tell her what to do. We need more of this! This is how we will make progress and new discoveries.

Do you have a daughter you find is always trying to solve things from the inside out? Maybe she is curiously experimenting with new ideas. Perhaps you have a daughter who loves to ask questions. I encourage you to show her how these traits can relate to the sciences.

Often, I hear women (especially mothers) say things like ‘who needs math. I wish I would have learned something I actually use in my daily life.’

If you want to do your taxes, you’ll use math. If you enjoy cooking, you’re using math. Every time you convert measurements from one type of unit to another, you use math. When you organize your day so that you run your errands in the most efficient way, you are using your problem solving abilities that you developed while you learned math. So the next time you catch yourself saying something like “I hate math”, rethink how you say it! Our daughters are listening.

My Current Career

Since getting my degree I have worked in the tech field. Because I learned how to problem solve, I have so many skills that can apply to so much! It prepared me for life in ways more than I ever envisioned. I can now work Excel like it’s a second language, navigate my way around any piece of software and identify its errors, and can even create and run reports to provide my company business insights they need. I’m a Swiss army knife of problem solving because I studied math!

Brawny® is helping women recognize they can be SHEroes too by encouraging people to share their stories. This campaign is so near and dear to my heart! Not only is this campaign an incredibly important and fantastic idea to bring awareness, Brawny® provides a product that helps you take control of your home. Brawny® Paper towels offer more sheets on every roll vs. leading brand comparable rolls and sheet sizes to help you clean up whatever life throws down.

We all run into snags in our life and it is encouraging to know we are surrounded by resilient and strong women who can lift us up and inspire us. The Strength Has No Gender™ campaign is highlighting the inspirational stories of everyday women who have been breaking down barriers in traditionally male-dominated industries and empowering others. We need women to advance these industries to the next level. Please share your SHEro story with me and Brawny® will donate $100K and, will also give your SHEro stories to Girls Inc. to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Let’s shape a better future and prove #StrengthHasNoGender

Head to Walmart to get these Brawny® paper towels that not only work fantastically but also carry an important and inspiring message. And please check out to their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to read more of these incredible stories.

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