By Nicole MOORE

On Thursday, Clark Magnet High School celebrated Ada Lovelace Day, a day commemorating women in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) by having two female speakers talk about their experiences working in STEM.

The first speaker was Lucy Abramyan who graduated from Clark Magnet in 2004 and is revered as one of Clark’s most distinguished graduates. Abramyan currently works as a software engineer at Google, focusing her talents on furthering the technology of virtual reality by rendering 3D images through optics and projectors. In years prior, Abramyan worked as an engineer at JPL and wrote software for the Mars Curiosity Rover.

“I’m not a superhero, I’m just like you,” Abramyan told the audience. “We have the same background and opportunities. Do what you can to pursue your passions and recognize your opportunities.”

Abramyan also noted she struggled with academic confidence while studying at Harvey Mudd College. She began to question her intelligence and wondered if she should continue studying computer science, in part because she had traditionally feminine traits, such as enjoying pedicures and organizing parties with her girlfriends. It was not until her junior year, when one of her professors pointed out she was the brightest student in his class consisting of 14 male seniors, did Abramyan realize she had the capability and drive to continue with her studies.

“Don’t be afraid. It does not matter what you do beforehand or what other passions you pursue. You’re not as bad as you think you are; in fact you might be a genius,” encouraged Abramyan. “Just go with your passions and you might realize that.”

Abramyan also presented the notion that one does not need to erase her femininity to be successful in STEM fields. She shared an anecdote about being a part of a robotic research team. Using sonar technologies, she configured a way to make a Barbie jeep self-driving. When the jeep came to an obstacle it could not deter, the jeep would play “Barbie Girl” by Aqua from its speakers.

“We combined girlishness and playfulness with something that’s really hardcore like robotics,” said Abramyan.

Next to speak was Kiran Gill, who is the chemistry and algebra 2 teacher at Crescenta Valley High School. Her previous endeavors included working as a compression engineering intern while she studied mechanical engineering at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada and working as a production engineer for BP Canada.

Gill said she chose her career path because of her passion for calculus and physics. However, Gill revealed she was not an intuitive engineer in the beginning of her career. For her internship, she had a mere four months to learn how to be a compression engineer and afterwards she was essentially thrown into working with experienced men and women on compression systems. Gill noted the process of learning could be challenging, frustrating and intimidating. But she, eventually, was able to solve problems with confidence and stated that in the last four months of her internship she “felt like a rock star.”

“Everyone needs a good confidence boost, especially girls. This [helped] my decision on how to get into teaching. Don’t be afraid to ask more questions,” Gill advised. “If I had asked more questions during my internship, my stress would have decreased. Take risks even if you feel like you are not an intuitive engineer. You’ll figure out your skill; you just have to be confident.”

  Nicole MOORE