Earlier this month, our Junior Mentors took a field trip to the Museum of Science to celebrate the end of the school year and the conclusion of our spring semester Science Clubs. Accompanied by SCFG staff, young scientists explored our universe by visiting exhibits including Science in the Park, The Arctic Adventure, and the Hall of Human Life.
Following the museum tour, the Junior Mentors heard from a panel of women of color who spoke about their personal STEM journeys. Panelists included Professor Lisa Necib, an astrophysicist who studies galaxy dynamics and dark matter; Professor Anna Frebel, astronomer and author; Anneliese Rillinger, a graduate student using machine learning to study star and planet formation; Dr. Omakshi Agiwal, a postdoc studying Saturn's atmosphere; and Ariana, a high school student from Chelsea who is part of the youth activists at GreenRoots. The Junior Mentors were so inspired by what the panelists had to say that they stuck around long after the event concluded to continue to ask questions. Even delicious cupcakes couldn’t lure them away!
The panelists' core message to the Junior Mentors was that anything is possible and to go through life with a growth mindset as they may not always know what they want to pursue. Another important piece of advice was to always pick the team over the project––that prioritizing your teammates and partners will allow everyone to tackle the task at hand efficiently and effectively.
A huge thank you to this group of incredible scientists and engineers for being such powerful role models and taking the time to share their journeys––inspiring our Junior Mentors to aim high in their STEM education and careers, even after graduating from Science Club for Girls! We are also grateful to the Museum of Science (who supported this event via a grant from NASA) for hosting SCFG and helping make this inspiring day happen!
Lastly, thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of our Junior Mentors, this has been such a successful school year! We are so proud of the work they have done, and while we are sad to see our graduating Junior Mentors go, we are so excited to see all they will achieve and accomplish in college and beyond. We can’t wait for them return to Science Club for Girls as mentors and volunteers! Watch this heartwarming message from Tahoura, a longtime SCFG Mentor Scientist who congratulates Junior Mentor Ali—who has also been with Science Club for many years—on his graduation:
And congratulations to all of our graduating Junior Mentors, including Abra, Ali, Eloisa, and Saffy!
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