My name is Kerri, and I am one of the two STEM Gals writing
on this page. Before I begin blogging away about all things STEM, I wanted to
first provide readers with insight into who I am, where I came from, and why a
colleague and I created this STEM Gals blog.
I probably should first clarify that “STEM” stands for
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, so when I refer to STEM
careers I am talking about topics related to those fields.
I am going to start at the beginning to give some perspective
on why I find myself very fortunate to have been able to pursue the career that
I did. I grew up in the small steel town of Weirton, West Virginia, and I found
myself interested in math and science at an early age. As I entered high school
I had a general idea that I wanted to pursue a math or science field but was
unsure of which one I would be best suited for. I knew engineering or medicine
might be a good field for me, and it took me until my senior year of high
school to really start to hone in on my interests. I attribute that to my
parents being great role models that were extremely supportive of my academic
endeavors and having excellent math and science teachers at my high school.
So why do I call myself lucky? At this critical juncture in
my life, I was fortunate to have had supportive parents who pushed me to set
high educational goals for myself and to have had such great teachers who
believed in me when I did not even believe in myself. Many kids are not so
lucky for one reason or another.
I attended West Virginia University (WVU) and pursued dual
degrees in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering. Following four and
a half years of hard work, I was accepted into the direct track Ph.D. program
at West Virginia University where I obtained my doctorate in aerospace
engineering in 2011. During my time at WVU, I made lifelong friends and
networked with groups such as the West Virginia NASA Space Grant Consortium. I
am proud of the education I received at WVU and all of the opportunities it
afforded me. It helped me land the job I currently hold today – which is
nothing short of my dream job. I also recently decided to continue my
education, so I am pursuing a Master’s degree in systems engineering at the
Johns Hopkins University.
Sure, I am an engineering nerd. I love astronomy, space
exploration, and aircraft design. I love to constantly learn new things, which
is why I decided to go back to school part time. There is one thing that I love
to do, though, that I hold as a priority: educational outreach. Education is
one of the most important things a person can obtain – whether that is through
a high school, university, trade school, or their everyday life. I am best
suited for discussing STEM education, but I want to make sure that I clarify
that I believe ALL types of education are important.
As a student who came from a small town where there were
virtually no aerospace engineers for me to talk to while I was in high school,
I am passionate about STEM outreach. Students live in a variety of different
areas (i.e. urban or rural) and may not necessarily have access to directly
communicate with people in many of these specific STEM career fields. This blog
is being established so that students (young and old), teachers, and parents
may readily access the information discussed or linked here. It is my hope that
our blog can become a place where parents can find cool links to NASA videos,
fun science experiments, or just general information on different STEM careers
so that they can discuss it with their kids. Also, students can read and
provide comments on what items they are interested in learning about so that
one of the STEM Gals can try their best to answer it or strike up a discussion.
Also, feel free to “Like” our Facebook Page “STEM Friends”. Through that avenue
we are connecting students with STEM professionals via social media in hopes
that conversations will be sparked about different STEM careers.
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