From Drones to Code: Women in STEM High School Students Explore Career Pathways

For a group of 25 Longwood High School students, a series of visits to Stony Brook University offered a view of where an interest in science could lead.

Over four sessions this spring, the students from the high school in Middle Island, New York, visited labs, classrooms and simulation spaces that introduced them to careers in engineering, healthcare, app design and computing. The Longwood Women in STEM Career Awareness Program, now in its second year, was designed to make those possibilities feel attainable.

Funded by a Presidential Mini-Grant through the Office of DI3, led by Judith Brown Clarke, the program brought the group of students to Stony Brook for hands-on workshops and conversations with faculty and industry professionals.

Each session focused on a different field, showing what STEM careers can look like.

At the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT), students explored battery energy storage systems and drone technology, constructing simple models to understand how electricity moves, while gaining career insight from industry leader Haugland. A session at the School of Health Professions introduced them to clinical care, where they practiced procedures and worked with medical tools. Back at CEWIT for the third session, students were introduced to product thinking and user-centered design, guiding them from idea to app concept, rapid prototyping, and pitch in just three hours. The series concluded April 29 at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science (IACS), where students learned about advanced computing, career pathways in STEM and the college admissions process.

Students began to see themselves in roles related to these explorations.

"My favorite session was the first one," said Sara Mangels, an 11th grader. "We learned about power lines and how you connect electricity. We had a little model and we would connect the power lines together and the battery works. We learned voltage and amperage a little bit. That is my career of interest, so I found that session really entertaining."

She said the experience expanded her understanding of the field.

"It opened me up to more opportunities in the field because they talked about drones too, and how a lot of things in STEM were intertwined," she said.

For Eden Bell, the program reinforced an interest she already had.

"Learning about what you can do with drones and the potential that it has, it really is an eye opener and definitely sparked my interest a lot more than it already has," she said. "Seeing other women who have started out with different backgrounds and really excelled in their career shows how I can also do that."

Bell said she hopes to one day work in law enforcement and use drone technology as part of that work, and is also part of the paid Drone Piloting for Infrastructure program offered through Stony Brook's CEWIT and GrIDD. After completing the program and passing the exam she will receive her FAA Part 107 license to become a commercial drone operator.

"For someone like me who changes every year what I want to be, this program expanded my mindset," said Jaeleen Cabrera, an 11th grader. "It gave me a reminder of what healthcare is, not only the patient aspect but also the community and unity involved with it."

Even students who had not considered certain fields before said the hands-on experience changed their perspective.

"I was never really into healthcare," Mangels said. "But when we went to the session, we did a lot of hands-on activities and it was really fascinating to me. It changed how I viewed careers in healthcare by seeing what it's really like."

Longwood teachers accompanying the students said that kind of shift was one of the program's strongest outcomes.

"It's been amazing for them to just see women in these professions, having paved these pathways for themselves and made meaningful change," said Jettie Dush, a math teacher at Longwood High School. "It gives the girls a sense of peace. You don't have to have all the answers. You'll find your way."

She said the range of sessions helped reach students with different interests.

"It's been interesting to see how each session is tailored to something different," she said. "It's broad enough to inspire a large group of kids."

"We are here to support students like you to get to know not only our disciplines, but also what research can do for society, what engineering and innovation can do for our society, and how it can provide solutions to make the world a better place," said Mónica Bugallo, interim vice president for Research and Innovation at Stony Brook and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Stony Brook, who greeted the students during the final session. "We also want to help you find a career that is rewarding, not only in getting a job, but in developing as a professional."

"Our goal is to expose these students to as many experiences as possible," said Derek O'Connor, workforce development manager in the Office for Research and Innovation, who coordinated the program. "Whether they continue their education or directly enter the workforce, they've become part of New York's STEM ecosystem, and we hope that this program encourages them to further their professional and academic journey.."

In the final session, students were encouraged to think about next steps, from building professional networks to sharing their experiences.

A digital badge recognizing their work in the program will allow them to showcase those skills on LinkedIn as they continue exploring future paths and the many directions they could take.

"It really opens up your mind to the different possibilities," Bell said.

- Beth Squire