By Nicole Ferrito
The old myth that boys are better than girls in math and science is debunked now as many women today have found success in these fields. In fact, according to A Day to Remember the First Computer Programmer Was a Woman in The New York Times, Ada Lovelace was the first to develop a computer program in 1842. She was called the “enchantress of numbers.”
Today, many girls still shy away from numbers and equations. There is still a lingering gender bias in pop culture too; take ‘The Big Bang Theory’ for instance, where the characters include the stereotypical “dumb blonde” and her geeky, socially awkward, mathematical-genius guy friends.
We talked to two girls at TCNJ pursuing careers that are still thought of as “male-dominant” majors.
Leah Lewy, junior computer science major, explained why she chose this area of study. “My dad did work in computer science in college so he recommended I look into that so I took a course and really enjoyed it,” she said. “I want to pursue a career in federal law enforcement working in either computer security or computer forensics.”
When asked what she thought of studying a field that is predominantly male, she said, “The only downside I have come across is that it’s hard to make friends because there aren’t a lot of girls to connect with. I’m not into gaming which makes it a bit harder to relate to the guys in computer science.” But, she does enjoy working with the guys. “Plus women in the field have better chances of getting employment which is a huge plus,” she said.
Christina Rabolli is a sophomore biomedical engineering major. She never gave any thought to the fact that it’s a male-dominated major. “I was influenced by my mom who is pretty dominant and does what she wants, despite what others may think,” she said.
She holds a mechanical engineering concentration, and she is hoping to go into tissue engineering after graduation.
“It’s becoming a very popular field because it sets the basis for regenerative medicine instead of surgery,” she said. “I studied this a little bit over the summer in a research lab at TCNJ where we worked to stimulate rat stem cells to differentiate into tendon cells. This could potentially be used in the future as a therapy for injuries such as torn tendons or ligaments instead of surgery which, for this type of injury, has a very long and painful recovery period.”
While she admits some teachers can be a bit “old fashion” and sexist, she feels it’s no different than any other major.
Rabolli thinks more girls should get involved in engineering. When asked why she thought there was not a lot of girls in the major, she said she doesn’t think many girls know about it.
Believing the most important thing is breaking down the stereotypes of the field, Lewy said, “it should be instilled in girls at a young age that exploring careers in the STEM industry (science tech math and engineering) is just as awesome as exploring a career in the humanities and liberal arts.”
These girls are breaking down the gender bias in the math and science field. But no matter what you’re interested in or passionate about don’t be afraid to pursue it because of a stigma.
“If a girl is interested in being a psychologist, go for it, but if it’s computer science, don’t let the gender boxes imposed upon us stop you from pursuing what you love,” said Lewy.