About Us
Grace Davis - Driver, Builder, Girl Power Website Designer
Growing up in a mid-to-upperclass community as I have, gender equality in STEM, or even just life in general, has never greatly affected me. I have never truly been denied an opportunity because of my gender. Though I've had relatives congratulate my dad for having daughters to do the household chores for him or had my knowledge belittled because of my femininity, I can't say that I've ever truly needed to think about how my gender has ever affected my life. This project was probably the start of when I looked deeper into the internal prejudices ingrained into both me and those who surround me. Some of the blame may be cast upon my male peers who claim that the need for feminism isn't real, or even my female schoolmates who refuse to claim feminism for fear of being seen as dramatic or too strong minded. Yet the more I look into this topic, I see that I too have a closed mind. I, being a very strong willed and stubborn personality, have never been denied an opportunity because I will just simply argue my point until the other conceded. This is not the case for others though. I live in a place that has provided me with many opportunities and I have blinded myself to the idea that others may not have what I have. I may not personally have ever needed any aid from an organization to help my self learn in grow, but that does not hold true for everyone. Girl Powered is so important because it gives other girls the opportunities that I have been given so that we may all succeed.
Emma Cox - Builder
Women empowerment is important especially at a young age. What happens to young girls can shape them for how they are going to be all grown up. It’s important never to limit a girls potential success just because she's “female”. Luckily in my family no one has been put in a box because they are a female. Unfortunately that does not go for all girls. The stem is a male dominated field and that's a fact. If we tell younger girls that they shouldn’t go into STEM because they are girls and guys are just better at math we are putting them in an imaginary box that could keep them from their full potential.
Hanna Michalisin - Builder
All my life, I've had encouragement from my parents especially my mom to do whatever I set my mind to. One of her favorite sayings is, "Don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do." This has been my glue in the times where I tell myself that I am not smart enough, or these guys are going to make me seem dumb. These thoughts hold me back and are my worst enemy when it comes to following my dreams. Comparing myself to others has been one of my greatest struggles, and going into STEM fields like principles of engineering (one of my two electives) and robotics I have been able to conquer that fear and show myself that I am good enough and I can do whatever I set my mind to. My mom is my role model since she is a Senior Engineer and makes up 6% of the female employees (16 female employees counting her out of 270 total employees) in "Technology Services- Systems Design Engineering" for T-Moblie. She has encouraged me to go into STEM, but most of all she has taught me that I can do whatever I set my mind to. As long as I believe in myself, then what other people say will only be one tiny grain of sand in a beach.
Kyra Freeman - Builder
I have never done anything like robotics in previous years but this year i wanted to change that. I know that some schools aren't as lucky as we were to have such a wonderful robotics program and I thought I should give it a try because the club looked like a lot of fun. I consider myself very lucky to have been put on a team of all girls who share my interests and are able to work together so well. I wanted to be able to help other girls pursue their love for STEM and have the same experience that I am having with my team. I know there are girls who want to do programs similar to this all over. It is my biggest hope that I may be able to inspire them to join robotics programs and STEM courses despite the fact that is a largely male dominated field. My experience with Vex Robotics has been amazing so far and I know it's only gonna get better as the year goes by. I am so grateful to my team and all my friends who pushed me to join this club because it has definitely been a marvelous experience.
Natalie Anderson - Programmer, Website Designer
I have been very lucky to go to the school I do, with the programs and materials it does. I have not had to give up much to participate in robotics- four hours a week and some money. I am able to take part in an amazing opportunity that most girls my age are not. And I joined robotics not because of some deep desire to program and build, but because, “hey, robots, cool.” Somewhere, there is a girl who isn’t allowed, isn’t able to do something like I can because someone- family, friends, administration, even herself- believes that robotics isn’t feminine enough, or because they don’t have the resources, or because because because. And I want to help set an example in STEM fields, even just a little bit- one more girl in a male-dominated world. And it’s easy to say, “oh, well, I’m just one person, it’s not that important if I’m here,” but numbers are made one person at a time! And if I can help one person, one girl feel accepted and like she can actually be part of something, then I’ve served a purpose beyond just having fun and competing and contributing to my team.
Raaga Vangala - Driver, Builder, Programmer, Website Designer
All my life, I have known that I am probably going to go into a career in STEM. Ever since elementary school; I have excelled at math and science and was one of the few girls that actually enjoyed it. I was surrounded by girls who complained about math and science, while I loved it. As soon as I got the opportunity to join robotics, I did. I know that other schools don't have such fantastic STEM programs, but luckily, I got the opportunity to do VEX robotics. I not only wanted to prove that I, as a girl, could succeed at robotics but also encourage other girls to join and create an inclusive environment for them. This year, we are an all-girls team but we have proven to be successful, being one of the five selected teams.to participate in the first tournament. We are encouraged in all of our endeavors and have been known as one of the “best teams.” I know that other girls aren’t given as many opportunities, and I want to create an environment in which all girls are given this opportunity.