Women in STEM

What’s up with all these men? It seems to me that they get to do everything. Who signed the Declaration of Independence? Men. Who voted for the first 33 presidents? Men. Who walked on the moon?  Men.  When’s it time the ladies got some recognition for all they do. I sure would like to see some men stay home with the kids, cook, and clean all at the same time. Needless to say we’re pretty awesome, but one area we don’t get much credit in is the area of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). One would be surprised at how much women have impacted the STEM world, so the men better watch out! The ladies are here and better than ever.

Laura Bassi. Mary Walker.  I say these names and most people would not be able to identify these astonishing women. If I say Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton everybody would know them. The reason I am writing this essay is to give the wonderful ladies that came before me the acknowledgement they deserve. My hope is that women will get just as much fame and glory as men.

One very awesome lady I mentioned is Laura Bassi. This inspiring woman sure did it all. She was a mother of 12, which on it’s own is incredible. On top of that, she was the first female professor of physics. Now, they don’t let just anyone be a professor. She was one smart cookie. Even though she was the first female professor in England, she didn’t feel she was always treated fairly because of her gender. She went to her boss with a petition that stated she get more responsibility and a larger salary. With 12 kids, her husband Giuseppe Verratti, and prejudice men to deal with, Laura sure had her hands full. Yet she made the best of it and became a very influential and inspirational person to many women today.

Mary Walker had a mind of her own. She was one in 1.8 million female Civil War veterans. The only one out of all those women to receive a medal for the amazing work she did. As a young girl her father taught her that everyone is equal. That she was just as capable, if not more than men. He encouraged her to have a mind of her own. No one was going to tell her what to do. She was denied a chance to be a medical officer at first, but that didn’t stop her. She eventually became one. She went to medical college even though no one thought  she could graduate, but she did it. She went across enemy lines to treat civilians that were injured or sick. She married a man, in men’s clothes, then realized he was holding her back so divorced him. Nothing was going to get in this woman's way. In 1917 Congress revised the standards for winning a Medal of Honor and Mary didn’t fit the cut, so they took her medal.  However the last thing she was going to do was give up her hard earned medal, she so honestly earned. She refused to give it back. She wore it everyday until the day she died.

I just picked two ladies to recognize, but you better believe there are many more that we could talk about. Women don’t get much credit for all they do and trust me, they do a lot. I hope this paper and the others submitted in this contest will inspire young girls to follow in the footsteps of these strong leaders that came before them.  I hope the STEM career field will grow into a very sought after career choice. These women inspired me to do things that people may not always think I can do. Nonetheless,  it empowers me to do the impossible and prove all those who doubt me wrong. This essay was a learning experience for me and I hope, if anything you would take from this paper, a better appreciation for the women that help in so many ways in the area of STEM.