Naziba Sikder is a recent first-generation college graduate who has been involved with SCFG since she was 14. Naziba began her SCFG journey as a participant in our Science Clubs, then went on to serve as a Junior Mentor, and now returns weekly to participate in Science Clubs as a Mentor, teaching and supporting our K-8 grade scientists along their own paths in STEM.
For her first job after college, Naziba served as a “front-liner” during the pandemic and was part of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT Covid-19 Diagnosis Lab. She also worked with Moderna to assist with the development of the Covid-19 vaccine. Naziba now works as a Manufacturing Specialist at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, having joined Vertex’s new site, Vertex Cell and Gene Therapy, where they are working on a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.
Naziba never considered science as a potential career until she joined SCFG in middle school; the experience led her to get her Bachelors of Science in Biology and work in STEM. She developed strong relationships with her SCFG mentors who encouraged her and opened her eyes to possibilities she never knew existed. Naziba says,
"I give all the credit to SCFG for my accomplishments as this program built that love for science inside me and I will always be grateful for that. The mentors played a major role in my life and now I would like to play that role in the girls’ lives.”
Naziba, like all SCFG Mentors, leads our weekly Science Clubs—teaching and facilitating our hands-on STEM curriculum, while also providing a safe and supportive environment in which participants find community and belonging. Mentors also serve as role models and guides, helping girls adopt a STEM identity and “see themselves in STEM.”
Naziba’s story captures all that is at the heart of Science Club for Girls. Our programs serve as the catalyst for individual-level transformation for participants who find confidence, excitement, and empowerment through STEM, which very often leads them to careers in fields that not only have far-reaching impact for the well-being of people and the planet, but that also provide economic security for these individuals and their families—while simultaneously making the entire STEM ecosystem more diverse, inclusive, and innovative.
Thank you, Naziba, for all that you are doing to support and inspire the younger generation and for all of your current and future contributions to science!
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