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The following was submitted to Winchester News by the Network for Social Justice.
Nearly 100 people including students, parents, teachers, and professionals in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) gathered at the Griffin Museum of Photography on Saturday, April 5, for an event to honor local women leaders in STEM and celebrate Women’s History Month.
Rebecca Slisz, executive director of the Network for Social Justice, opened the program refllecting on the importance of including women in various arenas from education and research to politics. She commended the seven women, including five adults and two students, on their accomplishments and conveyed congratulations from Representative Michael Day, who will be recognizing the honorees with citations.
A lively panel discussion ensued, moderated by Catherine Valega, financial professional who specializes in advising women and offers regular networking opportunities for women in STEM, and Sonia Lakshmanan, a Winchester High School junior and Network for Social Justice intern who herself excels in STEM.
“Start STEM at an early age” was the advice of WHS junior and honoree Ashley Byrne, who was interested in participating in a WHS chapter of Girls Who Code even before she got to the high school.
WHS teacher and Girls Who Code advisor Karin Lamson affirmed that clubs like this are spaces where young women like Ashley and Vice President 10th grader Riya Karunakaran can lead, explore and support each other.
“I was lucky to have a champion,” Lamson recalled, when she worked at GE Healthcare earlier in her career, and she has become one for her students.
From left to right: Rebecca Slisz, Executive Director of the Network for Social Justice, gives opening remarks; attendees listening to the panel. Photo credit to Olivia Terry of Olivia Terry Photography.
Multiple panelists spoke about ways to encourage the younger generation’s interest in STEM. Math educator Rawan Angele Khabbaz stated “no one should say or believe that they’re not good at math,” and she has worked hard to change teaching approaches so math can be more accessible to people with different learning styles.
Technology - the “T” in STEM - can also be a tool to help students get engaged in learning STEM according to honoree Meredith Thompson. And, “helping girls see how STEM is useful and fun in their lives” can stimulate their interests in science and engineering paths.
While the honorees expressed much passion and positivity about their experiences in STEM, they acknowledged that challenges still exist as well as situations where a girl or woman might be the “only one” in a class or club that is STEM oriented.
Yet, McCall Middle School technology and engineering teacher Maggie Jackson emphasized that leaning into discomfort is necessary. “When you struggle, you grow,” she said with a blend of enthusiasm and conviction that brought applause from the audience on numerous occasions.
Another meaningful moment was when Fuxin Shi, whose career spans from medical research to biotech leadership, shared how she and her team developed a successful treatment for inherited hearing loss: “When the child turned his head to hear his parents talk for the first time, it was like a miracle.”
Closing out the program, Executive Director Slisz described how events like this encapsulate the mission of the Network for Social Justice, which is to engage the community, build skills to work together across differences of discipline or perspective, and solve complex problems, whether they are related to STEM or social justice.
Interacting afterwards, panelists and audience members appreciated hearing inspiring stories, reconnecting with friends and families from the past, making new connections, and seeing young women with independence, strength, and passion for STEM.
