Join the conversation on STEM education and help nurture the next generation of visionaries

Hello Community Members,

We've appreciated how you've supported our Sponsor X initiative and contributed to important conversations by sharing your stories and perspectives in order to shine a light on nonprofits doing meaningful and impactful work.

That's why I'm incredibly excited to share with you that Smartsheet and McLaren Racing are teaming up again, and will showcase Girlstart on the tracks at the United States Grand Prix.

https://youtu.be/pnFNJ6eCsAc

You, our members can join the conversation and help shine a light on this deserving nonprofit that aims to bridge the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math by providing educational programs, mentorship, and resources to girls from all walks of life.

Answer the prompt in the comments below.

Tell us about a woman in science, technology, engineering or math that inspires you.

Witness the inspiring journey of Girlstart, a national, woman-led nonprofit focused on increasing girls' interest and engagement in STEM through year-round, innovative, nationally-recognized informal education experiences. Through its suite of programming, Girlstart inspires girls to take on the world's greatest challenges by being brave, curious, and courageous. As their logo takes the front wing spot on McLaren Racing Formula 1 cars at the US Grand Prix, please join us in celebrating the impact Girlstart is having on thousands of girl’s lives.

About Sponsor X: At Smartsheet we believe our greatest power is unlocking the power of others. That’s why we’ve teamed up with the McLaren F1 team again to shine a light on an incredible nonprofit, Girlstart, by giving away our coveted spot on the McLaren F1 cars. Learn more

➡️ We really appreciate your support for Girlstart. While the associated badge is no longer available, we invite you to continue exploring their work, and to join the conversation in the comments below.

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Comments

Monique Odom Stearn

One of the women in STEM that inspires me is Emily Calandrelli. She is a fellow WVU alum! Emily has done some great work for NASA, but is primarily a science communicator and educator. In particular, she created and filmed an educational science show, Emily's Wonder Lab, while pregnant. Providing this representation is SO important for kids and adults alike, and she's a great role model for girls wanting to get into STEM.

Steven Sawyer

Margaret Elaine Hamilton has been an inspiration to me, my wife and our three daughters. Her pioneering achievements in STEM advanced women in the field and laid a path for others to aspire to.

I'm sure most of you recognize this popular image.

Ms. Hamilton is an American computer scientist, systems engineer, and business owner. She was director of the Software Engineering Division of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, which developed on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo program. She later founded two software companies—Higher Order Software in 1976 and Hamilton Technologies in 1986, both in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Hamilton has published more than 130 papers, proceedings, and reports, about sixty projects, and six major programs. She invented the term "software engineering", stating "I began to use the term ‘software engineering’ to distinguish it from hardware and other kinds of engineering, yet treat each type of engineering as part of the overall systems engineering process."

On November 22, 2016, Hamilton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from president Barack Obama for her work leading to the development of on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo Moon missions.

Alison C.

I'm such a huge fan of Dr. Jane Goodall's lifelong work as a primatologist and conservationist. She seems like she knew who she was from a very young age, and didn't let any gender or economic barriers stop her from pursuing knowledge and change (and she still doesn't). Her connection to animals and what they can teach us feels so true to me as someone who also feels in conversation with them all the time.

The world and our ecosystem is very lucky to have Jane!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq5dKqNw92o

Kyle Chipman

This is such an awesome thread! It is often wonderful to read about trailblazing women in STEM. Not only do they have remarkable stories, the contributions to their field / humanity are always so inspiring to learn about.

Highlighting Valerie Thomas, born 1943 in Baltimore, who graduated college top of her class in Physics (only one of two women in the program) and in 1964 right-out-of-school started at NASA. She worked on the first team of the Landsat program, where she developed methods to decode large amounts of data from satellites, specifically imagery and image file formats. In 1980, she developed and patented an Illusion Transmitter, which was capable of sending three-dimensional images using a concave mirror. Afterwards, still at NASA, she oversaw a managerial position on the Space Physics Analytics Network, which is like a proto-internet that connected scientists across the globe. I believe she is still mentoring emerging scientists to this day and has been awarded multiple commendations at NASA. Awesome human.

apriljbarrera

My interest in STEM began in High School when I first learned of Ada Lovelace. Being educated during a time (born in 1815) when it was very unconventional for women to be educated is so inspiring. She received a comprehensive education, including studies in mathematics, music, and science, which would significantly influence her future contributions to STEM. She foresaw the potential of computing devices to handle tasks beyond numbers, even suggesting they could create music and art, foreshadowing the concept of artificial intelligence. Her vision was far ahead of her time and laid the foundation for modern computer programming.

Ada Lovelace's legacy continues to shape the world of STEM. Her pioneering work in computer science and mathematics, her visionary thinking, and her ability to break down gender barriers make her an enduring inspiration. The fact that her insights from the 19th century still resonate in the 21st century is a testament to the timeless relevance of her contributions. Ada Lovelace's life and work serve as a reminder that anyone, regardless of their background or gender, can make significant and lasting contributions to the STEM fields.

Marcela

The first woman that comes to my mind when it comes to inspiration and admiration has always been Marie Curie, she has left a great example of courage, passion, bravery and excellence. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, in Physics, and with her later win, in Chemistry, she became the first person to claim Nobel honors twice.

There are not enough words to describe how wonderfully resilient she was to get all her achievements despite the thousands of adversities life thrown at her, many of these adversities were caused just for being a woman.

Colleen Patterson

My interest in STEM came from my mom. She was an executive in a surveying and engineering firm. Seeing her in such a male dominated space, while being amazing at her career and her family, was my first introduction into the idea that women can be it all. Anything was possible, and my love for learning, math, and reading is a direct result of her fostering those passions while I was a child.

Ray Lindstrom

One woman in STEM who is a huge inspiration to me is Katherine G. Johnson.

Creola Katherine Johnson (née Coleman; August 26, 1918 – February 24, 2020) was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. (credit to Wikipedia for these details)

You may remember part of her story as it was depicted in the movie "Hidden Figures" where she was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson. Pictured below is Katherine Johnson on the left and Taraji Henson on the right.

What a great inspiration that made for a wonderful movie!

StephanieStepney

Dr. Marie Maynard Daly, Biochemist. She was the first African-American woman to receive a doctorate in chemistry in the United States. 1946... that's only 77 years ago to put things into perspective. We have come so far but still have a ways to go.

Dawn_ATX

Tricia Berry. She is the Executive Director of Women in STEM (WiSTEM) at the University of Austin Texas and is doing amazing things to support local STEM efforts!

Lauren Dominique

Elizabeth Blackwell was a champion for women in STEM, having been the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree (in 1849). I find her inspiring because I work for a children’s hospital where many of our doctors and clinical staff, including our Surgeon-In-Chief, are women. It’s amazing to think about how Dr. Blackwell paved the way for countless women in medicine over the past 174 years.

Pam Ferguson

Ada Lovelace: The World's First Computer Programmer

Ada was the daughter of romantic poet, Lord Byron, and his wife, Anna Isabella-Byron. Her mathematical talent shone through in her early life, and her skills and interest in machines lead to a working relationship with Charles Babbage. Babbage was the inventor of the “Analytical Engine”, a complicated device that was never actually created, but resembled the elements of a modern computer. As a result of her work on the project, Ada is often referred to as the “world’s first computer programmer”. It was Lovelace's notes on the Analytical Engine that Alan Turing used as a form of inspiration for his work on the first modern computer in the 1940s.

Being a data/business analyst she truly inspires me to be that analytical engine!

Salèha El D.

When I was a teenager, growing up in Paris, we all knew about the brilliant, amazing ''femme d'exception'' that was Marie Curry (Maria Salomea Skłodowska) - so, it was without surprise that her name first came to mind after reading this Join the conversation topic.

I see her name has been submitted, and I am not sure I could express my respect any better than @Marcela - so I decided to present another woman, whom at the age of 14, was certainly not your ordinary high schooler.

When she was a toddler, she learnt algebra by watching her older siblings study. Before her fifth birthday, her favourite pastimes were reading books and solving mathematical problems.

She was already in her first year of medical school, at the age of 20! When most people of her age were adjusting to student life as an undergraduate, she had already graduated from medical school.

Meet Iqbal Al Assaad - the youngest Arab doctor (2023)

''Education is a girl's weapon in the future.''

Brooke Y

I am inspired everyday by women in my network. My boss is a Technology VP for a large healthcare company and has the respect of her peers and the CEO. My former co-worker is a STEM teacher and very active in WiCys (women in cyber security), highlighting stories of women changing the Cyber world. I'm inspired by my daughter, who is not only graduating college this semester with a minor in Data because she sees it as a key to the future, but taught me some great ways to use AI.

Being a champion for those around you, lifts you all up.

khickman

My love for STEM started at a young age with my first trip to Johnson Space Center and meeting some of the first women astronauts. Working with Smartsheet these last couple of years has unlocked my love of technology and I'm thankful my employer encourages our continuous learning.

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