Center Grove has dozens of clubs to offer, one of which is the Women in STEM club. The club was created to provide a safe space for girls interested in the umbrella of STEM, and give them a chance to interact and engage in STEM-based activities as well as enhance skills they may use if they go into STEM-related fields later in life.
“Women in STEM is a high school club founded to empower young women interested in STEM fields,” Senior and club co-president Miru Wang said. “It aims to create a community, fostering passion and connections among its members.”
Women in STEM was founded toward the end of the 2022-2023 school year, and with being a newer club, members of this club have focused on promotion for the club and trying to encourage people to join and get more involved within the Center Grove community.
“To promote the club, we’re utilizing morning announcements, Instagram pages and upcoming STEM night activities,” Wang said, “We’re also exploring collaborations with larger companies to enhance community engagement.”
In addition, Women in STEM also have aims for the future. The club has some major projects coming up, like the Spheros Olympics and Guest Speaker Panel. However, the club has one particular event approaching which is aimed to get more middle schoolers prepared when going into high school about STEM classes.
“We are less focused on getting the word out, but we are hosting a STEM night for middle schoolers in 2024 to inform them of all the STEM classes and opportunities they will have at the high school,” vice-president Jenna Pippenger said. “The STEM night is meant to promote understanding, not get the word out about our club, but it should help.”
At the recent meeting, the club held their leadership elections for the 2024-2025 club leadership. Students were given the opportunity to present themselves in front of the current leadership and explain why they should be elected for the position.
“My favorite part about running for leadership is being able to put effort into something I desire,” sophomore Joshitha Neeli said. “I did not expect myself to be able to write paragraphs of information about myself, talk to the current leadership, and give an election speech in front of the entire club. I really loved seeing how many women are in the club that are willing to put a lot of work into the club and it gave me confidence that the leadership next year will be strong no matter who’s leading it.”
The club has helped give students new perspectives in addition to helping some grow and think outside of the box. At every club meeting, students are given a chance to go after school and experience what the club has to offer.
“I love being a member of women in STEM because I get to branch out of my comfort zone,” sophomore Aanya Srivastava said. “I would describe it as a great group of women who explore and learn about different types of STEM jobs together.”
Through STEM activities, speeches from women who have experience in the STEM field, and many other diverse experiences, the club has made a significant impact on members’ lives.
“It’s changed my life for the better, I know that for sure,” Junior Claire Stafford said, “I am more motivated to look into the STEM field and I get to learn about a lot more subjects that interest me.”
For more information, visit Mrs. Wilking in the library or visit the club’s Instagram page (@cghs_women_in_stem).
