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The Gender Pay Gap: Equal Pay for Equal Work

5/19/2023

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Introduction:
In today's society, the gender pay gap remains a persistent issue, affecting women across various demographics. The detrimental consequences are far-reaching, both for individuals and society as a whole. 

1. Why it's Important:
According to the article titled "The Lifetime Wage Gap, State by State," women stand to lose significant earnings over their careers due to the pay gap. On average, a working woman earns only 70% of what a man in the exact same position would earn. If left unaddressed, the gender pay gap undermines financial security, retirement prospects, and the ability to provide basic needs for herself and her family. (All sources are cited below.)

2. The Scope of the Problem:
The gender pay gap is primarily fueled by discrimination based on factors such as gender, race, and education level. As stated in "The Gender Pay Gap" article, women working full-time in the U.S. are paid only 83% of what men earn. Additionally, female managers face a pay gap of 23 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts, as highlighted in "Women in the Workforce: The Gender Pay Gap Is Greater for Certain Racial and Ethnic Groups and Varies by Education Level." This wage discrepancy is a clear reflection of discrimination within the workplace.

3. Financial Security:
The gender pay gap has severe implications for women's financial well-being throughout their lives. The article "Not-So-Golden-Years" reveals that women have only 70% of the overall retirement income that men possess. This disparity is created by the pay gap, which also contributes to delayed student loan repayments and lower retirement savings. Women are forced to work longer and harder to overcome these financial hurdles.

4. Racial Discrimination:
The gender pay gap is further magnified when considering racial and ethnic disparities. Hispanic or Latina women earn about 58 cents, and Black women earn approximately 63 cents for every dollar earned by White men, according to "Women in the Workforce: The Gender Pay Gap Is Greater for Certain Racial and Ethnic Groups and Varies by Education Level." The gap for women in racial and ethnic minorities is projected to persist for centuries at the current rate. This inequality demands immediate action to rectify the imbalance.

5. Education:
Women with higher education levels face significant disparities. "We Need to Address the Gender Pay Gap for College Women" reveals that women often need a degree one level higher than men to achieve equal earnings. This not only places women in more debt but also widens the lifetime wealth gap. Equal pay must be ensured regardless of educational attainment.

6. Bias, Stereotypes, and Early Interventions:
Many argue that gender pay gaps arise from women's career choices, but this overlooks the biases and stereotypes that shape those choices. From childhood, girls are encouraged to pursue lower-paying fields and are discouraged from certain subjects like math and science. The biased portrayal of women in literature, as evidenced by a study on sexism and stereotypes in children's literature, perpetuates harmful gender roles. Addressing these biases early on through education and empowering young girls is crucial to fostering equality.

7. Taking Action:
To combat the gender pay gap, it is essential to raise awareness and inspire action. Educating oneself about the issue is the first step. Engaging in conversations and spreading awareness can help create a movement for change. Achieving equal pay for equal work requires collective efforts and advocacy from individuals, organizations, and policymakers alike.

Conclusion:
The gender pay gap represents a persistent injustice that affects women's lives in profound ways. By addressing discrimination in the workplace based on gender, race, and education level, we can build a society that values equality and fairness. Closing the pay gap requires concerted efforts, from raising awareness to implementing policies that promote pay parity. It is incumbent upon all of us to work together to ensure equal pay for equal work and create a future where everyone can thrive.

Sources:
Deeper in Debt. www.aauw.org/resources/research/deeper-in-debt/. 

Does the Gender Pay Gap Explain Why Women Complete College at Higher Rates Than Men? www.prb.org/articles/does-the-gender-pay-gap-explain-why-women-complete-college-at-higher-rates-than-men/. 

Hamilton, Mykol C., et al. "Gender stereotyping and under-representation of female characters in 200 popular children’s picture books: A twenty-first century update." Sex roles 55 (2006): 757-765.

Not-So-Golden Years. www.aauw.org/issues/equity/retirement/. 

The Gender Pay Gap. www.aauw.org/issues/equity/pay-gap/.

The Lifetime Wage Gap, State by State. nwlc.org/resource/the-lifetime-wage-gap-state-by-state/. 

We Need to Address the Gender Pay Gap for College Women.  www.bestcolleges.com/blog/addressing-the-gender-pay-gap/.

Why Women Don't Apply for Jobs Unless They're 100% Qualified. hbr.org/2014/08/Why-women-dont-apply-for-jobs-unless-theyre-100-qualified. 

Women in the Workforce: The Gender Pay Gap Is Greater for Certain Racial and Ethnic Groups and Varies by Education Level,www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106041#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20in%202021%3A,18%20cents%20on%20the%20dollar).

Women of Color and the Wage Gap. www.americanprogress.org/article/women-of-color-and-the-wage-gap/.

​This blog was submitted by SpiderByte, FTC team 10216. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!
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Reaching Out with Team SpiderBits 17219

5/19/2023

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We are Team SpiderBits 17219, an all-girls FTC team based Laurel, Maryland. Our team mission is to bridge the gender gap in STEM and outreach is one of the most vital ways that we do this. As a FIRST team, our main values include friendly sportsmanship, respect for others, teamwork, learning, and community involvement. We promote these values in our community by making outreach a core part of our team. To us, outreach is connecting with students, peers, adults, and anyone who wants to learn about STEM and teaching them about it. Our main source of outreach is going to elementary and middle schools and teaching workshops about robotics. Just recently, we held a 7 week long club with Whetstone Elementary Schoo, located in Gaithersburg, Marylandl. By sponsoring this club, we were able to visit the school and teach a group of 3-5th graders about different aspects of robotics. Not only did we introduce them to our robot, but we started teaching them how to code, create 3D models, use the engineering design process, and how robots are used in the real world. 

The lesson that was the most successful was the public speaking lesson. We thought it would be a great idea to teach the students about public speaking since we use it so much during our competitions, fundraising, and in all sorts of situations on the team. We had each of the students get into small groups and create a pitch to sell an extremely valuable product: a single paperclip. The students were elated at this opportunity and started coming up with interesting ways to make us buy the paperclip from them. Finally, they got to present their pitch to the whole class and see their creativity in action! With this activity, we were able to show them the importance of public speaking and be able to pass on the torch of outreach to the next generation. 
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Out of all the things we gain from holding these workshops, what our team found the most fulfilling was the feeling of teaching these students about a subject that we are all so passionate about. Going from school to school, making connections with students and teachers alike, as well as hearing about the effects we have on the kids we teach are the best parts of the whole experience. They make all the time and effort put into organizing these events worth it in the end.

This blog was submitted by Aditi C. and Pooja D. of Spiderbits, FTC team 17219 . If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!
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Inspiring women in stem

5/1/2023

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There are many inspiring women in STEM, both historically and in modern times. From cryptology, space exploration, programming, and mechanical engineering, these women were pioneers who paved pathways for more young girls to follow in their footsteps. 

Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace lived in England from 1815 to 1852. She was a mathematician and considered to be “the first computer programmer” for her analogies and visions of how a computer would work. 
Her father, Lord Byron, was a famous poet who left both her and her mother when she was young. Her mother strongly disliked the idea of Ada following in her father's footsteps and encouraged her to follow her mathematical and scientific interests. Her mother loved these subjects and wanted her daughter to feel the same way. During the 19th century, women did not study math and science, but Ada’s mom insisted that her daughter be taught by skilled tutors in these fields. To encourage Ada’s STEM interests, she and her mother visited factories to learn about the mechanics of manufacturing devices, which was rare for women at this time. Here, Ada learned about the Jacquard loom, which is a machine that weaves patterns into fabric based on instructions from a punch card.
Later, Ada Lovelace met Charles Babbage. At the time, he was working on a mechanical calculator called the Difference Engine. She became a translator for Babbage, who only spoke English, and his French engineer. While doing this, she added her annotations and ideas to his work. She developed an analogy between the Analytical Engine, which was a more advanced mechanical calculator, and a weaving machine. She compared how they both followed patterns and code to perform a task. Unfortunately, Babbage didn’t get enough funding to finish the Analytical Engine and Lovelace’s notes were not used at the time. 
Later, her notes were rediscovered, and her ideas deemed her the first computer programmer. Contrary to what many people of her time believed, she recognized the real potential of computers, besides calculating numbers. Although she was not able to program in a modern way, the principles she discussed in her notes were similar to how future computers would function. They were a big frontier in the Computer-Science field.

Genevieve Grotjan Feinstein
In high school, Genevieve Grotjan Feinstein excelled in all subjects, especially math. She graduated from University at Buffalo with a degree in mathematics. She worked as a substitute teacher, tutor, assistant to her professors, and delivered lectures on mathematical topics. After this, she hadc  trouble finding a job teaching math, but was hired by the Army Signal Intelligence Service (SIS) for a civilian cryptology job.
She worked with a team to decode “PURPLE,” the encoded messages sent by Japan during WWII. In 1940, while analyzing the intercepted messages, she found repeating patterns of strings of words. Her discoveries sparked the development of a machine that decoded these messages. This provided crucial information to the military. 
In 1943, Feinstein started working on the project “Verona.” She created a process to figure out when a key in an encoded message was reused. This helped decrypt messages from the KGB, the former Russian Intelligence Agency. This process provided more crucial intelligence to the US. 
    After working in the Cryptology field in the government for seven years, she resigned and started working as a mathematics professor at George Mason University.  Her efforts to decode “PURPLE” were a major help to the United States and changed the course of History.

Mae Jemison
In 1956, Mae Jemison was born in Alabama but grew up in Chicago. From an early age, she knew she wanted to go to space. There were no female astronauts in space when she was growing up, but she was inspired by Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, who was played by Nichelle Nichols.
She excelled in high school, graduated at sixteen, and went to Stanford. She double majored in chemical engineering and African-American studies. After graduating, she went to medical school, during which she went to Cuba and led a scientific study for the American Medical Student Association. After this, Jemison worked in a Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand. She is fluent in Russian, Japanese, and Swahili, allowing her to manage healthcare for the Peace Corps. She came back to the US and worked as a general practitioner in Los Angeles while taking graduate-level engineering classes. 
She applied to the astronaut program at NASA but after the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, NASA paused accepting new astronauts. The next year, she reapplied and was selected with fourteen others out of the 2000+ applicants. She was assigned to the STS-47 crew and worked as the mission specialist. They orbited Earth 127 times in eight days. She left NASA after six years of being an astronaut.
As the first African American female astronaut, she started other movements and groups to encourage science, math, space travel, and social change. In addition to this, she guest-starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation and worked as an environmental studies teacher at Dartmouth College. Her accomplishments revolutionized the future of young African-American girls.

Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ada-Lovelace
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/ada-lovelace
https://www.famousscientists.org/ada-lovelace/
https://www.nsa.gov/History/Cryptologic-History/Historical-Figures/Historical-Figures-View/Article/1621585/genevieve-grotjan-feinstein/
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-code-girls-of-arlington-hall-station-women-cryptologists-of-the-second-world-war-teaching-with-historic-places.htm
https://www.buffalo.edu/atbuffalo/article-page-spring-2018.host.html/content/shared/www/atbuffalo/articles/Spring-2018/features/an-american-hero.detail.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWxGAogqr4M
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mae-jemison

​This blog was submitted by Spiderbits, FTC team 17219 . If you are interested in blogging for FIRST Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!
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How FIRST has impacted graduates’ lives

3/2/2023

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Once you graduate high school, your FIRST experience is over, right? Not quite. FIRST maintains a strong impact on students’ lives, even after they have graduated from the program. FIRST robotics allows students to prosper in college both mechanically and technically, but also allows them to connect with the STEM community through principal values such as gracious professionalism. Marlbots alums Nina Fischer ‘22 and Jordan Ellis ‘22 discussed how their experiences on an FTC team have shaped their current college careers.

    The FTC program is an opportunity to introduce students to the world of engineering and robotics. Participation on a team allows students to learn about every aspect of engineering from the design process to fabrication. Nina explained how joining an FTC team sparked her own passion for engineering as well as enabled her to develop skills she would use in college courses, such as computer-aided design, 3-D printing, and laser cutting. Jordan built onto this idea, stating that FTC provided a springboard for their future pursuit of engineering in college. For example, they joined a collegiate motorsports team, and they have been able to apply knowledge gained from the Marlbots to the motorsports team. Their previous work in documenting the design process and drawing of the robot for the Marlbots has enabled them to successfully perform these tasks on their collegiate team. This past knowledge from FIRST has allowed them to succeed as a member of the team as well as the larger engineering community.

    Nina and Jordan also revealed how participating on the Marlbots, a team of girls and gender minorities, allowed them to thrive in the college engineering space, which can be very daunting. The Marlbots team fosters inclusion and prioritizes every team member’s voice, allowing members to feel supported and uplifted by one another. Jordan referenced how this environment of support is still helping their confidence now in college:“I know that I can trust myself and even when I make mistakes, I can work around those.” Nina also explained that being on a team of gender minorities and girls before heading to college to study a male-dominated field bolstered her trust in herself and prepared her for this environment: “Marlbots is a safe space that sets you up for the real world.”

Gracious professionalism, a founding ideal of FIRST, has also significantly influenced graduates’ interactions with the larger STEM community in college. Both Nina and Jordan explained that many college engineering students participated in FIRST teams during high school, and that this shared experience provided a basis for camaraderie and respect. FIRST provides a space where every student has an equal opportunity to be heard, as well as be a leader and learn from others. Outreach within and as outside of the STEM community allows for the fostering of a learning culture and the formation of deep connections through both learning from and helping others. Nina stated that from FIRST “everyone takes away the mindset that they want to help and they want to spread their knowledge”, and that this mindset becomes “universal” throughout the engineering community as these ideas spread. Furthermore, this mindset impacts the life of every past or present FIRST participant, as Nina continued to explain that despite the competitive environment, “you can learn from each other, and that will make you a better engineer.”  Jordan summed up this idea of FIRST, stating, “It truly is more than robots”.

This blog was submitted by Victoria P. of Marlbots, FTC team 3526. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST  Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

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Empowering the Next Generation: From a WISE Participant to Lead

2/20/2023

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I was first introduced to robotics through a youth robotics program hosted by my future FRC team, 1678. As I learned how to design, build, and program robots, my curiosity and interest for STEM slowly grew. But it was not until my youth robotics mentor, a high school student on Citrus Circuits, encouraged me to attend a Women in STEM Empowerment (WISE) event (previously Girl Powered event) that I ever felt truly inspired and empowered to pursue my passions.
The first thing I noticed at the WISE event was the FRC robot in the middle of the room. I was fascinated by it, pondering how it was even possible to construct something so incredible. As I bounced back and forth between the different STEM activities, talking to all the different female volunteers, I realized that it was the first time I ever saw that many girls in one room participating in STEM activities—I was surrounded mostly by my male peers up until that point. All the female volunteers spoke so highly about their experiences on the team and encouraged me to further my STEM passion and join the team.

Fast forward to the present, where I have come full circle. As the current lead of our Diversity in STEM program, I organize monthly WISE events and other outreach activities with the goal of inclusion and equity for all in STEM. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to see this the program grow at such a fast rate, as our monthly turnout is double what it was a year ago. The initiative has been able to grow and expand into neighboring communities to reach more students than ever before.  For the past two years I have also had the opportunity to mentor three different youth robotics teams. It has allowed me to reflect on my previous challenges as a girl in STEM and how it has only encouraged me to inspire as many future leaders as possible. I realize the importance of having role models and mentors that empower and inspire you. For me, these role models were the WISE volunteers and my youth robotics mentor. They provided me with enough support to pursue my passions and grow. I now aim to impact people the way they impacted me, giving others the confidence to support their dreams.
I hope that my journey will encourage all to get involved in any outreach programs possible. Whether you are a mentor, student, or volunteer, there are so many different ways to ensure that the STEM field is as inclusive and representative of all.

​This blog was submitted by Citrus Circuts, FRC team 1678. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST  Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

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#MoreThanRobots

2/20/2023

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Today we are talking with Lillian, who is our documentation expert on FTC #7444 Sisters of the Motherboard and training to take over our social media accounts next year. We are looking at the FIRST philosophy of #MoreThanRobots and how her role on the team reflects this important idea. 

Why did you join robotics?
At first I joined robotics to understand the magic of STEM, but discovered I was more interested in the marketing side of our team. This includes posting on social media and reaching out to other communities to educate them about STEM, and share the progress of the growth of our team.
What is your current role on the team?
My current role on the team is creating the engineering notebook which consists of entries related to changes made to the robot. I collect entries every time we meet and edit them. Eventually the entries are printed and made into a notebook. I am shadowing our current social media lead to be ready to take over our accounts next year when she graduates.
What made this role attractive to you?
I have always been interested in the importance of social media for businesses and the steps needed to have a successful social media page. I wanted to connect with other robotics teams not from a builder or coder perspective, but from an outreach perspective and learn how they share their team and STEM to other people. I was interested in helping create the engineering notebook for the season because I enjoyed the idea of creating a book that involves all of our successes and changes to the robot.
Why do you think what you do is important to the team?
I think of myself as an organizer of the team. Which is a very important role to keep the team on track. With as many events that occur and jobs needed to be done, I am useful to keep together information and tasks completed.
What would you say to someone who thinks that there isn’t a place for them in robotics?
There is always a place for someone in robotics! With so many important roles needed to have a successful team like being a coder, builder, or being involved with social media, we are always open to new members trying everything out. Through trial and error you can find your interest and have fun in robotics!

This blog was submitted by Lillian of Sisters of the Motherboard, FTC team 7444. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST  Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

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RoboLearners Program at Salem Academy

2/20/2023

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As a freshman student at Salem Academy, located in North Carolina, I have had the opportunity to be a part of our RoboLearners program. The RoboLearners program is an introduction to everything robotics. Through this program I have gotten to work with CAD (computer aided design), building, coding and even driving the robot. In the past, I have had some experience with coding and robotics, however I have never been a part of an FTC team. The RoboLearners program is designed to ease students into the realm of FIRST Robotics, and give them a basic overview of the many roles that team members hold.

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Two RoboLearners at their First State Competition!
The beginning of the year started with 100 days of CAD by OnShape. This consisted of tutorial style videos that guided students through the basics of CAD and designing various parts. While at first this seemed extremely daunting, we only did about 20 of the 100 days, specifically ones that were most applicable to FIRST. At the start, I had little experience with CAD. Throughout this first unit, I was able to learn the basics of CAD and gained new knowledge regarding CAD. It was great to learn something new about a skillset I previously had little experience working with, and then applying this skillset to robotics.
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​Learning to CAD
Being a part of the RoboLearners program, I was able to move on to the next unit: building. In RoboLearners I was able to work in a team of students and build an FTC pushbot  for this year's challenge. We worked together, often navigating through various challenges, and were able to build working robots. Through this valuable building experience, I found a love for building. I showed that I was progressing fast through this challenge, and was given the opportunity to be a part of the building team for 7444 Sisters of the Motherboard, at Salem Academy.
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Working Together to Build a Pushbot
After competition season, I am now learning the basics of coding in FTC Sim. Starting with block code, I have been learning how to code the robot to move, use color sensors, distance sensors, and more. The next step is working on phasing out of block code and beginning to code in Java. After this, we will begin dropping code onto the FTC Pushbots that we built earlier in the year. Then, we will be able to drive the FTC Pushbots in a challenge that veteran team members have designed. This challenge will mimic past First Tech Challenge games, and allow the RoboLearners to practice navigating a robotics match.
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Success While Coding!
The RoboLearners program has been a great way to learn the foundation of robotics and FIRST Tech Challenge. I have loved learning how to build and code, and even the basics to 3D Computer Aided Design. I know the skills I have learned in this program will be incredibly helpful to not only robotics, but the rest of my academic career. Through RoboLearners I have learned valuable life skills such as teamwork, collaboration, problem solving, and brainstorming. I can’t wait to see what else I learn being a part of Salem Academy RoboLearners and FIRST robotics.

This blog was submitted by Lola of Sisters of the Motherboard, FTC team 7444. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST  Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

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Breaking gender roles

2/6/2023

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By the Marlbots 3526, a high school team of girls and other gender minorities based in Los Angeles, CA. 

Contrary to the experience of many people in this world, Dr. Lee Mirsky did not grow up in a household dominated by specific gender roles. She is a sister to a younger brother, LGBTQ+ twins and is married to a transgender man; her father worked from home, while her mother went to work at a hospital. When going to a McDonald’s drive through with her mother, her family was asked if they would like a “boy toy” or “girl toy” with their happy meals. Instead of subscribing to such a binary and gender-specific tradition, her mother would play dumb, saying things like “I don't know what ‘girl toy’ or ‘boy toy’ is.” Dr. Mirsky was aware, of course, that other ways of living existed, but such occurrences were the norm in her family. 

Dr. Mirsky fell in love with science in an 11th grade physics class, encouraged by the help of a remarkable teacher at her school. From there, she went on to major in Physics and Environmental Analysis & Policy in college, but discovered her love of Materials Science (a combination of physics, chemistry and engineering) while at college. She decided to earn her PhD in Materials Science, and began to tutor physics throughout her graduate years, realizing her love of teaching physics. In 2016, during her last year in her PhD program, Dr. Mirsky joined the Marlborough faculty part time to teach Physics, and in 2017, after receiving her PhD, she joined the faculty full time.

At Marlborough, the robotics program was beginning to expand in such a way that the illustrious Mr. Witman required extra help, leading him to turn to Dr. Mirsky. At first, Dr. Mirsky was hesitant to join the program, but after going to a robotics meet, she realized how much fun the robotics world is. By 2018, Dr. Mirsky was Mr. Witman’s second hand; she was assisting after school, and also helped to teach the middle school robotics classes, on top of teaching physics. 

Although STEM is known as a fairly male-dominated field, Dr. Mirsky feels “very lucky” in that she’s been fortunate enough to have had positive experiences throughout her STEM career. Of course, like so many, she has dealt with inflated male egos: she once overheard a male peer discussing his “discovery”, which he had “discovered” in a research article that he simply modified. Nonetheless, Dr. Mirsky has never faced the typical disrespect so many women have faced in the STEM world at the hands of overzealous men.

Dr. Mirsky attributes her positive experiences to great teachers, some luck, other areas of privilege that she has, but also her upbringing. Dr. Mirsky was never taught to actively see gender, and even in the face of obnoxious males during her school years, she never felt held back by her male peers. So, when asked about the difference between the number of male coaches and female coaches at robotics meets, Dr. Mirsky said she never really noticed it until she began to think about it. 

It’s an interesting phenomenon - seeing gender is so ingrained in our society, but when a person is not taught to actively see gender roles, and constantly spend time and energy thinking about gender, their experience differs from the rest. Dr. Mirsky was never taught to see herself as overwhelmingly “female” in a STEM world dominated by “males,” and thus never felt the same effect of discrimination others are prone to. 

Dr. Mirsky is currently the “Engineering and Entrepreneurship Program Head” and “Associate Director of the Frank and Eileen Accelerator Program” and teaches AP Physics and Engineering and Invention for Impact at Marlborough School. With the increase of Dr. Mirsky’s responsibilities, she is no longer able to assist with robotics, but greatly treasures her time with the teams.

This blog was submitted by Marlbots, FTC team 3526. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST  Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!


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FIrst alum and mentor, aislinn o'dwyer: stem story

1/26/2023

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“There are always going to be people who think I am not as capable because I am a woman, and that’s okay, that's not my problem.” - Aislinn O’Dwyer, Team 4786 Nicolet FEAR alumni


For Team 4786 Nicolet FEAR, founding student member and current mentor Aislinn O’Dwyer continues to inspire team members and young women to pursue their passions in the fields of engineering and STEM. O’Dwyer always had an interest in science when she was a child, but was not able to pursue it until she got to high school. After taking classes her freshman year, she realized that engineering is something that she wanted to do. Joining the team as a founding member in December of 2012 for the 2013 FRC season, she was deeply encapsulated by FIRST and returned to mentor the team for the 2018 FRC Power Up season.


 “FIRST gave me a lot of exposure to the different types of engineering there are and the different aspects of design.” For O’Dwyer, FIRST gave her a space to explore what she didn’t have the chance to before, giving a more indepth look at the engineering field. This team, with the help of FIRST, is able to give all members the opportunity to see different aspects of engineering: electrical, mechanical, programming, and also the communication side of a business. Nicolet FEAR works to create an environment where everyone is involved and encouraged to work together.O’Dwyer said, “it taught me a lot about how not everything is going to work the first time and that’s not a problem, that’s how engineering works. Not everything is going to be perfect the first time and it’s about the think, make, improve process.”


 Even through the hour and a half commute from Madison, O’Dwyer continues to mentor for the team year after year. Aislinn said, “I really like Nicolet FEAR. It is so accessible to so many people. You don’t have to be rich, it doesn’t cost thousands and thousands of dollars to join the team. It's a place for everyone no matter their background is able to come in and understand and enjoy the experience of engineering, or graphics, or communications, or any part of the real world.”    


O’Dwyer currently works as a senior engineer at National Electrostatics Corporation located in Middleton, Wisconsin just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. National Electrostatics Corporation makes particle accelerators. These particle accelerators are used for medical and astronomical research as well as different experiments in all areas of science. As a senior engineer, O’Dwyer works on mechanical engineering for various projects. She works with physicists to ensure things are able to be made, and they follow the goals for the physicists. Ais also works on installing particle accelerators.


Through her success in her career, O’Dwyer has also run into some adversity being a woman in STEM and engineering. “Being a woman in STEM and engineering for one is not always taken as seriously as their male counterparts. It’s improving, I’ve seen lots of improvement the longer I have been in the field, but it is still not perfect. There are always going to be people who think I am not as capable because I am a woman, and that’s okay, that's not my problem. That is their problem. The big thing about it is when other people think I can’t do something, I just go and prove them wrong!” said O’Dwyer.  

  

Since she was a child, O’Dwyer’s biggest inspiration is her mother. As a pharmacist, she was a huge role model to Aislinn growing up and helped show her that women really can do anything they put their minds to. Aislinn is a big believer in inspiring young women and people to go into STEM. “It is important to have voices to stand up for women and minorities who say you can do this and have people who can back you and have you believe it and that you can do this. It is so important to feel like you are supported and can do anything.”  


This blog was submitted by Nicolet FEAR team members Madeline W. and Delaney V.,  FRC team 4786.  If you are interested in blogging for FIRST  Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!
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Female leadership in first

1/16/2023

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FRC team 4118, Roaring Riptide has always been a safe space for me. It is where I made my first highschool friends, and the buildspace is where I go when I need cheering up. My teammates and I  work to support each other's ideas, projects, concerns and interests. My team is full of people that want nothing more than for their teammates to grow, regardless of background or lifestyle, but that isn’t an atmosphere reached effortlessly. It is something that needs to be encouraged and cultivated in order to grow. 
A female teammate recalls, “My first year on the team, two of my friends tried to work with the robot aspects of the team, but the technical lead roles were dominated by males and made it hard for them to get their voices heard on anything technical. This often ended up kinda forcing them to step away from the technical aspect of the team.” When talking to Alumni, they confirmed that it was a combination of strategy and determination to create and maintain the culture we have today. It was their concerns that led us to working towards a family-like atmosphere on our team. 
A very big part of that is promoting female leadership in our team. Our largest move to do so was to create an all girls FTC team in 2020. The idea was to create a feeder team for Riptide. Girls could have a dedicated space to learn and gain confidence with engineering. When they felt ready,  if they wished to, they could move to working on Riptide. We saw immediate results, with our team's leadership being majority female during the next FTC season, and remaining so up until this season, even as we incorporated all genders into our FTC team. We look forward to encouraging more girls in STEM and building our legacy as a diverse and dynamic team of engineers. 

This blog was submitted by Roaring Riptides, FRC team 4118. If you are interested in blogging for FIRST  Ladies, click here to sign up on the schedule!

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