Maggie Gregor is part of Women in STEM, a thriving club at Wake Forest University. This club is geared towards young women at Wake who are pursuing careers, or just have interests, in STEM fields: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
Her Campus sat down with Gregor to hear more about the club, the work they do, and what it’s like being a woman in STEM.
Her Campus: What are you studying?
Maggie Gregor: I am majoring in Engineering and minoring in Math.
HC: What led you to choose these fields?
MG: I’m hoping that it will give me flexibility once I graduate since I’m still figuring out what I want to do after school. It also allows me to take a lot of math classes which have been some of my favorites at Wake!
HC: When did you first become interested in the STEM?
MG: Definitely while I was in high school. I always enjoyed my Science and Math classes much more than my English and History classes.
HC: I think a lot of people would agree with you. How did you become involved in the Women in STEM club at Wake?
MG: I became involved with Women in STEM at the first activities fair freshman year putting myself on their listserv. Within the next couple of weeks, I expressed some interest to some girls in my engineering classes and they said they were also on the listserv. We started to go to the events together!
HC: Do you have a leadership position in the club?
MG: So, right now, I’m the secretary of this club, so I’m in charge of note taking in meetings and sending out the emails when there is an event coming up. Next year, I will be in charge of the social media so that way I can still be involved while I’m abroad.
HC: What exactly does the Women in STEM club do on campus?
MG: We do a lot. We have a mentor program set up where younger girls are set up with older girls in the same major typically. This way these younger girls can ask them about what classes to take, any research they are doing, or any internships they’ve had. The goal is to make the younger girls feel more comfortable making decisions that deal with their majors when transitioning into college. We also go to a local middle school and meet with their Women in STEM club. In the past, we went once a week to North West Middle School. We would typically do an interactive science experiment and a brief presentation for the girls. We just had an Earth Day event where we painted pots and planted succulents to destress for finals. The main idea is just to really become a resource for the people in the club.
HC: Wow, that all sounds so great. What would you say is your favorite part about the club?
MG: Probably traveling to the middle school and interacting with those girls. In high school, I worked at the local science factory where I would do similar science experiments, like elephant toothpaste, for younger kids and I love seeing how excited everyone gets.
HC: Do you have any advice for other girls interested in the STEM field?
MG: To join Women in STEM!