On Tuesday, October 8th, 2024, Lakota Middle School in Federal Way, WA brought together 31 IGNITE Students for a Panel featuring two young STEM Professionals.
Panelists Marcella Huang, UW Computer Science graduate and IGNITE Alumni Coordinator and Vanessa Cuanan, IT Specialist at Herrera Environmental Consultants, shared their journeys to their present careers and answered students’ thoughtful and introspective questions about those paths. Both Marcella and Vanessa are Federal Way Public Schools alums and graduates of Thomas Jefferson High School, so they were able to share stories to which students in the audience could deeply relate.
Questions included:
- What were your favorite subjects in school?
- What is the best part of your job?
- What is the worst part of your job?
- What types of classes lead to this type of career?
- What was YOUR MOMENT when you realized that this was the career you wanted?
Vanessa and Marcella shared that many paths may be the right one, and that not everyone must attend college to be successful. They were open about the challenges they had faced, letting students know that they, too, can persevere through obstacles.
Thank you to Panelists Vanessa Cuanan and Marcella Huang for sharing your stories with IGNITE Students, and to Lakota MS Educators including Toni Fortunato for making this event possible for students.
After attending this event:
82%
of students are interested in STEM
75%
of students know more about STEM career choices and the benefits of working in a STEM field
70%
of students feel more confident in pursuing STEM
82%
of students gained perspective and feel more hopeful about the future
Here’s what the students thought of the event:
“Today’s event inspired me because I was very hesitant about whether or not I wanted to go into STEM because I thought I was not smart enough to do so. But today and when I met these young women I could see myself in them so I am just very thankful for that.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing I learned today was realizing how I could relate to some of the things they said. Another thing that I liked is how they made sure to answer every question and made sure everyone who had a question got to ask.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“It inspired me to be better and learn about the science field.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“I feel more inspired and motivated to go through STEM and become more outgoing.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“It inspired me to think I can do anything.” – 7th grade IGNITE Student
“It inspired me to be more confident in choosing my own path. I learned that I’m not the only one who likes STEM jobs.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing that I learned today was you don’t have to go the ‘common’ path to get a technological job.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing was learning that even the shyest of people can grow into outgoing smart people.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“It helped me feel more confident in pursuing my hopes for the future. It also helped me to feel more confident as a woman that I can do the same things as men.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“The volunteers talked about their experiences with getting introduced to STEM and I thought that it wasn’t fabricated and it was realistic and I felt more like it was relatable.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“I’ve always been interested in STEM, specifically graphic design so this just boosted my confidence.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“It made me want to pursue in-school and after-school clubs. Being yourself matters.” – 7th grade IGNITE Student
“Hearing their stories made me feel more confident in what I can do for the future and feel more comfortable in my own skills.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“I loved everything but mainly knowing what struggles they went through but how successful they still are.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“Today inspired me because when I was little I loved mixing things and I wanted to be a scientist. Also I really am interested in working in STEM now.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
“It inspired me to go after the jobs I want to do. It inspired me to follow my dreams.” – 8th grade IGNITE Student
About IGNITE Worldwide:
IGNITE Worldwide is a 501(c)3 nonprofit STEM education organization that aims to change gender and racial equity in STEM permanently and systematically. We work directly with teachers during the school day to provide programming that promotes gender equity and representation in STEM academics and careers. Through our award-winning program, IGNITE provides engaging, hands-on events that connect students with STEM professionals from industry leaders from around the world. Learn more at www.igniteworldwide.org.
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