Angie Nett (center, back row), is surrounded by eighth-grade girls from Banning and Beaumont who learned about careers in the STEM fields during the 18th annual AAUW STEM Conference at Mt. San Jacinto College.
San Jacinto, CA – Hundreds of eighth-grade girls from Beaumont and Banning learned about careers in science, technology, engineering and math during the 18th annual American Association of University Women’s STEM Conference. The event was held Jan. 11, 2018 on the San Jacinto Campus.
Maile Pendleton, 13, said she planned to be either an explorer, animator or a photographer in the future. The San Gorgonio Middle School student said the event helped show her how to find a path to a career. “Out of today, it mostly helped with how to find courage and strength in what I can do,” she said.
The event, organized by the AAUW’s San Gorgonio Pass Group of the Redlands Branch and hosted by MSJC, is designed for eighth graders from middle schools in Banning and Beaumont. Leaders from the private and public sectors provided hands-on workshops that helped the teens explore careers in STEM fields.
Rebecca Teague, MSJC’s dean of Planning/Institutional Effectiveness/Grants, welcomed the group. Director/producer Amber Price served as the guest speaker and motivated her audience with her talk titled “Roadmap to Success.”
After the keynote presentation, the students headed out to the workshops on campus. The University of California, Riverside, CalFire; Sorenson Engineering, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, and the California Department of Justice were among the workshop presenters.
Angie Nett, human relations manager for Sorenson Engineering in Yucaipa, encouraged a group of girls to find out more about their skills. “Be determined,” Nett said. “This is the message. Know who you are. If you know who you are, you’ll have the determination you need” to achieve goals.
Financial support was provided by the Sun Lakes Country Club Charitable Trust Board, Laura May Stewart Foundation Trust, California Retired Teachers Association-San Gorgonio Pass, Sheron Bealer, Marilyn Shankar, and other individuals from the Pass Area and AAUW Redlands members.
