We had the pleasure of hosting an event for Stemettes, a charity that helps young girls and non-binary people in STEM. This was an incredible opportunity for NewDay to be a part of and have some of our colleague’s volunteer to support, inspire and guide the young people on the day!
The event was a huge success, and we were thrilled to see such a diverse group of young people come together to learn about coding and technology.
We interviewed some of our colleagues who volunteered on the day, to hear about their thoughts on the event.
Nicola Pallet, Head of Strategy Implementation:
What motivated you to participate in the Stemettes London event?
When I was growing up there was nothing out there to show me what careers STEM subjects could lead to, let alone events where you get to create apps/websites for fun. When I heard about Stemettes, I realised they were an amazing charity that nicely filled that gap and I wanted to help out in any way I could. This event seemed like the perfect place to start.
What was your highlight of the day?
The folks taking part did a great job of presenting their work, the humour and energy they brought to their presentations was fantastic! There were some that were a bit nervous about that bit when speaking to them during the hack, but they still got up and presented…I was super proud of them for that.
What insights or key takeaways did you gain from your experience supporting young people interested in the field?
I think the main takeaway was that there are some extremely intelligent young people out there who will do amazing things in tech. Helping out at the event really motivated me to continue my involvement with the charity, so I am extremely pleased that I had already volunteered to take part in the mentoring initiative they will be running this year.
Amy Barker, Digital Product Owner:
What motivated you to participate in the Stemettes London event?
I studied Natural Sciences (Physics and Chemistry) at University so have seen first-hand the decrease of girls, young women, and non-binary people in STEM subjects from school to University. In some lectures I would be one of a handful of women in a room of 100s. Throughout school, I had inspiring teachers who ensured that the doors to STEM remained firmly open for me and inspired me to take the path I did. If I could provide that inspiration for just one other that’d be amazing! Ensuring that STEM/STEAM subjects are welcoming for all is so important to me and I believe the Stemettes London event provided a great platform to ensure these doors remain open for those who joined us.
What was your highlight of the day?
The presentations were amazing! All the presenters did an amazing job, and their confidence was seriously impressive – to present in front of 100 strangers is a fantastic achievement.
What insights or key takeaways did you gain from your experience supporting young people interested in the field?
I’d say it only strengthened my belief that we all have a responsibility to ensure that the next generation thrive and have more opportunities than ever before.
Jessica Benevides, Product Designer (mobile team):
What motivated you to participate in the Stemettes London event?
Because I am a Product Designer, I wanted to bring light to this career path on a STEM focused event, as it's usually more common to find female engineers only involved on those. A second reason as to why I wanted to be part of this initiative is because I have previously worked as a 3D modelling software course instructor, when I was at University and I remember loving to help others learn and use digital tools, so I saw the Stemettes event as an opportunity to put those skills back into practice.
What was your highlight of the day?
I think the highlight of the day to me was seeing that the Hackathon participants ended up teaching me more things than I'd say I was able to do for them.
What insights or key takeaways did you gain from your experience supporting young people interested in the field?
One thing I took as a key learning is that a good presentation or pitch can make up for an unfinished product or piece of work, because of the potential of it.
Anisa Moallin, Specialist (Original Design Systems):
What motivated you to participate in the Stemettes London event?
I wanted to get involved with the Stemettes event to help inspire and mentor young women into the STEM Fields!
What was your highlight of the day?
The highlight of the day for me, was seeing all the final presentations of the kids presenting their ideas in just a clear and enthusiastic manner. Their eagerness to learn was fantastic!
What insights or key takeaways did you gain from your experience supporting young people interested in the field?
The importance of STEM subjects for young people as it will help them develop not just technical skills but also vital social and presentation skills.