By Jared Garcia
At the sound of the morning bell, students shuffle through a classroom door with hellos and good mornings. Like a well-oiled machine, the students once again begin their routine. The room is now a cacophony of rustling papers and scraping chairs. Projectors and screens beam to life while Freddie Mercury’s voice travels among the students. Thirty pairs of eyes focus on the board, waiting for the next assignment. This is how Caitlyn Wong’s third period begins.
Ms.Wong is a Yerba Buena High School chemistry and forensic science teacher.
Although she is relatively new, Ms.Wong is now part of the five female science teachers here. While having the career of a science teacher does not seem arduous, it can never be truly “easy” for women in the STEM field.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. At surface value, STEM seems to be welcoming and accessible to everyone yet, that is not the reality.
According to the Pew Research Center, “traditionally male-dominated fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), only 19 percent of men said they had experienced gender discrimination at work, versus 50 percent of women.”
Even as a child, Ms.Wong has held an affinity for STEM subjects: “I loved school too, I remember doing algebra with my dad when I was like in the 1st grade. I would ask him to teach me algebra cause I think I was learning multiplication at the time, I just had a knack for the math and the sciences.” she recalls.
This “knack” followed her into high school. During her time as a student, here are a few classes she attended: Calculus, AP Physics, Physics Honors, Chemistry Honors. If it wasn’t obvious before, it is as clear as day now: Ms.Wong has a passion for STEM.
But passion wasn’t enough to hide the obvious: There were hardly any girls taking these classes.
Having such a fervor for STEM lasted well into college, but it was also there where the disillusionment began.
A professor poses a question, hands fly up, eager to answer. The professor’s eyes scan the entire classroom, a man gets called on. It seems like nothing at first but soon a pattern is formed and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Subtle but disheartened, Ms.Wong noticed the lack of opportunity for her female peers. If women can be ignored for a mere question, how will they be treated in the actual work field?
According to Seeker, “In a survey of 200 senior-level women in Silicon Valley in 2015, 84 percent said they had been told at work they were “too aggressive,” 66 percent said that they had been left out of important events because they were women, and 60 percent had received unwanted sexual advances while at work.”
So although that specific professor may not have realized his bias but what exactly does that say about how we view the dynamic between gender and science?
If that wasn’t disheartening enough, the curriculum was faulty as well.
Men and women everywhere have made such important contributions to science and math but most are not even recognized. Even with some thought, I can not recall learning the name of a single female scientist, Ms.Wong knows that too.
“[Female scientists are] just not talked about, you don’t see them, it makes it hard to visualize yourself in that career if you don’t see a representation of your identity. The doctors, the engineers, and the super scientists, the ones that are being taught are all males,” she says.
Now, at the position of an educator, Ms.Wong also sees some echoes of herself in students, “I see this problem, not just at YB, but nationally of girls not feeling like they are capable in science.” Many claim that gender discrimination doesn’t happen anymore and its’ effects are exaggerated. It never went away, it just became normalized.
Feeling incapable is a part of the subconscious bias that many young women internalize. This subconscious bias can represent itself in various forms: intimidation, getting ignored and/or being discouraged.
“It’s conditioned through our interactions and how we’re raised in society and [it’s] paired with our biological differences,” Ms.Wong says.
As time progress, Ms.Wong notices a fresh attitude in female students, “I have a lot of students who are girls who are very motivated, interested and really capable and incredibly intelligent.” It brings forth hope that this era of young girls will not be so easily diminished.
For the STEM girls out there, this is what Ms.Wong shares to you, “Speak up, be fully confident in your ability and your potential and understand that the things that make you feel like you are different and like you don’t belong are actually the qualities we need in leaders in the STEM field. Take that class, speak up in class or lead the project or show who you are, your emotions, your identity, show your passion because it will pay off, stereotypes always die.”
Humans of the scientific community have discovered and learned many things about the world. The future can only prove to be more prosperous. Whether your interests lie in the arts or sciences, do not let something as trivial as our human biology stop you from pursuing it.
At the sound of the morning bell, students shuffle through a classroom door with hellos and good mornings. Like a well-oiled machine, the students once again begin their routine. The room is now a cacophony of rustling papers and scraping chairs. Projectors and screens beam to life while Freddie Mercury’s voice travels among the students. Thirty pairs of eyes focus on the board, waiting for the next assignment. This is how Caitlyn Wong’s third period begins.
Ms.Wong is a Yerba Buena High School chemistry and forensic science teacher.
Although she is relatively new, Ms.Wong is now part of the five female science teachers here. While having the career of a science teacher does not seem arduous, it can never be truly “easy” for women in the STEM field.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. At surface value, STEM seems to be welcoming and accessible to everyone yet, that is not the reality.
According to the Pew Research Center, “traditionally male-dominated fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), only 19 percent of men said they had experienced gender discrimination at work, versus 50 percent of women.”
Even as a child, Ms.Wong has held an affinity for STEM subjects: “I loved school too, I remember doing algebra with my dad when I was like in the 1st grade. I would ask him to teach me algebra cause I think I was learning multiplication at the time, I just had a knack for the math and the sciences.” she recalls.
This “knack” followed her into high school. During her time as a student, here are a few classes she attended: Calculus, AP Physics, Physics Honors, Chemistry Honors. If it wasn’t obvious before, it is as clear as day now: Ms.Wong has a passion for STEM.
But passion wasn’t enough to hide the obvious: There were hardly any girls taking these classes.
Having such a fervor for STEM lasted well into college, but it was also there where the disillusionment began.
A professor poses a question, hands fly up, eager to answer. The professor’s eyes scan the entire classroom, a man gets called on. It seems like nothing at first but soon a pattern is formed and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Subtle but disheartened, Ms.Wong noticed the lack of opportunity for her female peers. If women can be ignored for a mere question, how will they be treated in the actual work field?
According to Seeker, “In a survey of 200 senior-level women in Silicon Valley in 2015, 84 percent said they had been told at work they were “too aggressive,” 66 percent said that they had been left out of important events because they were women, and 60 percent had received unwanted sexual advances while at work.”
So although that specific professor may not have realized his bias but what exactly does that say about how we view the dynamic between gender and science?
If that wasn’t disheartening enough, the curriculum was faulty as well.
Men and women everywhere have made such important contributions to science and math but most are not even recognized. Even with some thought, I can not recall learning the name of a single female scientist, Ms.Wong knows that too.
“[Female scientists are] just not talked about, you don’t see them, it makes it hard to visualize yourself in that career if you don’t see a representation of your identity. The doctors, the engineers, and the super scientists, the ones that are being taught are all males,” she says.
Now, at the position of an educator, Ms.Wong also sees some echoes of herself in students, “I see this problem, not just at YB, but nationally of girls not feeling like they are capable in science.” Many claim that gender discrimination doesn’t happen anymore and its’ effects are exaggerated. It never went away, it just became normalized.
Feeling incapable is a part of the subconscious bias that many young women internalize. This subconscious bias can represent itself in various forms: intimidation, getting ignored and/or being discouraged.
“It’s conditioned through our interactions and how we’re raised in society and [it’s] paired with our biological differences,” Ms.Wong says.
As time progress, Ms.Wong notices a fresh attitude in female students, “I have a lot of students who are girls who are very motivated, interested and really capable and incredibly intelligent.” It brings forth hope that this era of young girls will not be so easily diminished.
For the STEM girls out there, this is what Ms.Wong shares to you, “Speak up, be fully confident in your ability and your potential and understand that the things that make you feel like you are different and like you don’t belong are actually the qualities we need in leaders in the STEM field. Take that class, speak up in class or lead the project or show who you are, your emotions, your identity, show your passion because it will pay off, stereotypes always die.”
Humans of the scientific community have discovered and learned many things about the world. The future can only prove to be more prosperous. Whether your interests lie in the arts or sciences, do not let something as trivial as our human biology stop you from pursuing it.