By: Abbey Raynes
“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.”
Jo March, Little Women (2019)
Happy International Women’s Month! In celebration of International Women’s Day, I spoke to a couple folks that are underrepresented within their STEM majors. According to the American Association of University Women, “Women make up only 34% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college.” Sadly, this information is not new as these specific fields can be very daunting, especially for women. So, I chatted with Amira Brown [Junior/Physics major] and Charlotte Clark-Slakey [Junior/Cell & Molecular Biology major], to understand what attracted them to their major, despite the stigma of STEM.
Amira Brown – Physics
A series of photos capturing Amira doing her physics lab. Abbey Raynes // Wavelength
What made you choose your major?
“I’ve always liked math and I find physics to be really interesting.”
Are you in a male dominated major? How does that impact your own experiences being in your major?
“Yeah, I definitely think that a lot of people, even though you wouldn’t expect the school to be this way, but I do think a lot of the men in the physics major have some subconscious sexism going on. I mean, there’s a lot of like–I’ve seen this happen to other women in the major as well as me, you’ll say something and then they basically try to explain it to you by repeating it back to you like stuff like that.”
Has being a POC impact your experience?
“Not really, I noticed the only thing that I can really say is, I guess some of the more minor stuff when you’re a person of color in a school that’s pretty white dominated, you just really stick out. As where someone else might get away with skipping a class because they stand out less than the class. For me it’s—I feel it’s kind of easier to remember who I am because I don’t think there’s ever been another black student in any of my physics classes.”
Have you ever felt discouraged going into your major? If so, why?
“I mean not really; I mean I was aware of the problems with the major, but it didn’t discourage me too much. I kind of just accepted it because they kind of exist– I mean problems of sexism exist in most areas.”
Do you have any role models that guided you to your degree? Who are they/how did they influence you?
“This is kind of really random, but when I was in running start, I had to take this class. I forget exactly what it was, some kind of career class but for one of the assignments we had to interview someone in the career we wanted to go into, and I interviewed someone in astronomy. I actually found it to be really insightful, and helpful and encouraging. I mean I never spoke to this man again, but you know it was helpful. I guess also my research professor, just because he’s given me the research opportunity. I can’t think of any professors that have really taken on a mentor role though. I mean, our astronomy department head has been really kind to me and has tried to help me with scheduling complications, even though he’s obviously not my advisor and I’ve never taken a class with him, so I do appreciate that.”
What is the most valuable piece of information you’ve learned being in your major, outside of the academic work?
“I guess just not being discouraged. I feel like this weird answer, but I feel like being in male dominated classes has prepared me for the future. I’ve gotten used to being in spaces that are mostly consist of men. I feel like I could see how–if for some reason—I hadn’t experienced that in college, it would be really daunting once I entered the workforce. But I feel like that’s actually been a lesson that I’ve carried and how to operate in those situations.”
If you could give any advice to other women in STEM what would it be?
“Don’t get too discouraged by displays of sexism.”
Charlotte Clark-Slakey – Cell & Molecular Biology
A series of photos detailing what Charlotte does for her research assistant position as a Cellular & Molecular Biology major, in the lab she works in. Abbey Raynes // Wavelength
What made you choose your major?
“It was a little bit random. I had some cool high school science classes I took coming into college. I was like, I want to do film, or I want to do science. And I was like, well Western doesn’t have a film major and I do think that I could maybe teach myself film, but I don’t think I could teach myself science. So, I was like alright science and then I started just kind of with biology, but I really liked more chemistry side. I was really interested in protein engineering and that’s very molecular biology, so that’s kind of why I picked it.”
Are you in a male dominated major? How does that impact your own experiences being in your major?
“I actually don’t know if biology is male dominated at Western. I think generally like within STEM, Biology is usually one of the more like even as far as like gender stuff yeah I don’t know if it is. But I think you can always say like STEM going into that career is probably going to be male dominated. I’m hoping to go into medical research, and I think definitely a lot of those labs, you’ll see more of an uneven split.” I think I’ve had a pretty good time at Western, I’ve felt very comfortable in my classes, very supported by professors here, and by my fellow students. I will say my very first chemistry lab that I ever did, that was not great. I had a TA who was in charge of running it. And it was me and my lab partner and, you’re basically setting up this experiment where you’re you start with a compound, and you have to get back to it. And halfway through, he was just going through it. His thing had turned completely black and was clearly– something was not going right. So, he called over the TA and he was like, hey I need help, and then the guy just wouldn’t recognize that it was his work and not mine. He kept turning to me and explaining it, and I was like no, mine’s fine. And my lab partner was like no, it’s not hers, like, I’m the one with it. The guy just could not get it, and that was crazy. I just remember leaving and being like what the hell, are you joking right now. That was like only the really real experience I feel I’ve had with that. Beyond that, I feel like biology has been very good.”
“I feel like for AFAB people, you kind of get raised in a way where there’s more self doubt. I’ve noticed that in class, it’s mostly the guys raising their hands. And I think that happens less for women. I think it could also be the way you’re raised too, it’s interesting. There’s times though, the mans-plaining, I hate the mans-plaining.”
Have you ever felt discouraged going into your major? If so, why?
“Oh, 100%. I almost did not do biology. Ialmost completely quit out, and was like, I want to switch into something I didn’t even know. Honestly, I think at a certain point in my studies, the only thing that stopped me from it is, I didn’t have a better thing that was interesting to me. I really didn’t think I was cut out for it. When I was in the introductory classes I think especially at Western, and this is changing, but I think when I was looking at going into the major, there was not really a lot of support from advising. They didn’t really tell you what you needed to do. The classes were very difficult you know, you get that whole ‘weed out’ class thing. It was hard too and definitely isolating. A lot of my friends are humanities majors, I felt like I didn’t have a lot of friends and stuff. I also really hated the classes like a lot of them. I was like screw this, some of the math classes here, I was like I hate this, I don’t understand ot. I failed a lot of tests, failed a lot of quizzes. I definitely didn’t think I was super cut out for the major, but I kind of just kept going with it because I didn’t really know what else to do. Then probably around round fall, two years ago now, I ended up hearing they were trying to this molecular Biosciences club at Western. And they were like, we just want students to come out if you’re thinking about it. And I was like well, I guess I should go to a club, maybe I’ll meet people. Then I kind of got involved in that and then through that, I met a couple older students and they were–that was like definitely what got me back on track. They were very encouraging they told like they told because they were the ones who were like yeah no I hated the intro courses like the intercourses were so boring and then I got into that more advanced ones that I really liked it they were the ones I didn’t even know you could do research as an undergrad they were the ones that told me about that and were like you should look into getting into research lab like you should ask around like definitely like walked me through how to do that I had no idea about any of that like I don’t have any family members and stuff I don’t know any of that coming in and so yeah that was kind of how I even got involved in research in the 1st place and then the minute I got into a lab I was like Oh my God I love this like this is exactly what I want to do like it’s the hands on word and you’re actually doing something real, and it’s not just boring lecture. Only in the past year, I’ve found that STEM is what I want to do. And sometimes, you know, I’m in organic chemistry right now and every once in a while, I’m like, what if I just quit.”
Do you have any role models that guided you to your degree? Who are they/how did they influence you?
“Yes, so definitely, those two older students. They were really great. Hannah Kodama was one of them and Alaura Rice was the other. They, Hannah especially, she really went above and beyond and told me about research labs. She also, she talked to professors about me. So when I was cold emailing professors saying like, let me in your lab, they had kind of heard of me which was really cool. So, absolutely fantastic person. Has honestly inspired me through the science world, and she’s off doing very cool things now. She was a really big role model for me. When I first started being a researcher and maneuvering through Western’s sphere, my mentor out at Michigan, she was very cool to see a young professor. We would have these lab lunches where we’d go out and just talk about stuff and she was awesome. It was cool to see someone and be like, I could see myself doing that. Like, I can see myself in your shoes. Also, it has just been a lot of other students I’ve worked with. Like, watching the people working in this lab, some of them have been working longer than me, and I see them doing cool stuff, and it’s like holy cow, this is crazy. It inspires me to keep doing stuff.”
What is the most valuable piece of information you’ve learned being in your major, outside of the academic work?
“I would say honestly, learning how to fail, I mean, you deal with failure every single day. I think when I first started college, a lot of perfectionism. So, just learning how to fail, again and again, and troubleshoot and persevere through that, I can apply that to anywhere in my life. I think it’s important to know how to do that and take care of yourself and not beat yourself up, and also know how to come back after failing over and over. And I think it’s cool to see the progress of, you fail, you fail, you fail, and then you get it. And then it’s like holy shit. That’s a cool feeling. You learn a lot of critical thinking, learning how to design solutions to problems, I think those are not really things you aren’t directly taught, but pick that up through working.”
“They call it failing forward, as long as you’re moving in a direction and failing toward something, it’s good to fail. When you’re dealing with imposter syndrome and stuff like that, it’s very affirming to have that mindset. Like, I’m going to fail and that’s expected, and you’re not meant to be doing it right the first time. Or the second time. Or the hundred and fortieth time. I’ts going to be tough, but it’s going to be okay.”
If you could give any advice to other women in STEM what would it be?
“Advocate for yourself. Speak up, speak up in classes. I think it’s really easy to feel out of your depth and you don’t really know what you’re doing, ask questions if you don’t know. No one will look down on you for asking a question, especially in STEM. Always ask questions, if you don’t know, just ask someone. You learn so much that way and when I figured that out, it opened up so many doors. Where I was listening but not really understanding, and the minute I started to interrupt [well not necessarily interrupt them] someone and say, I don’t know what that means, can you explain that, do that. There’s a real fear of, I don’t want to look stupid or look like I don’t know what I’m talking about, but I think you should always ask questions. That’s big. Especially for women, just speaking up. Speak up, you know your shit and you are smart, and you belong there and talk on it. Be proud of the work you do and especially in the heavily male dominated ones that can be hard. As far as someone going into science, don’t be afraid to rely on your community, I think that’s really big. I mean for everyone. It’s a hard thing dealing with all that failure so you should reach out to your community and talk to people. Ask older students, ask your peers. Support your community too. I’m a big believer in, if you’re up, everyone should be getting pulled up. There’s a lot of science culture that’s like, I’m going to push you down to get ahead, and that’s very real. Western you don’t see as much but the further out you get it becomes a lot more common. I think we get ahead by supporting each other and science is a very communal effort, and you should always be looking out for the people around you and bringing other people up. So, rely on your community, trust yourself, speak up for yourself, communicate with other people, ask questions, and ask them all the time.”