Tell us about yourself. How are you involved with FIRST?
My name is Ananya and I’ve been involved with FIRST for 3 years. This will be my fourth and final year. I’ve been involved in FIRST since the beginning of 9th grade as a part of FRC team 7419. I’m now a technical lead on the FRC team and the founder of FTC team 23808 InnovIx.
How has FIRST helped you accomplish your goals?
When I joined FIRST I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted the future to look like. However, by participating in FIRST I found my passion for engineering design which then encouraged me to pursue more STEM opportunities. Something I love about FIRST is that it places an emphasis on STEM for the community. Through this I was able to help so many others through technology, which is a large part of the reason why I’m now pursing it as my major.
Do you recall any special experiences or challenges?
When I originally joined our FRC team, I didn’t expect to be one of 7 girls on a 90+ member team. Consequently, so it was a bit of a shock to me and I didn’t really know how to handle it. I recall feeling very isolated and struggling a lot with my identity, especially at the beginning. I felt like I was constantly being judged and was no longer surrounded by a supportive community. Being a minority in any sense of the word, you’re going to try and assimilate to the accepted behaviors, or the behavior of the masses. I felt like I had to change who I was in order to taken seriously on our team and be given any respect. For a while, I experienced a lot of self-doubt and a lack of confidence. There was no one there who could set an example to show me that I belonged in STEM just as much as the men around me. Overcoming those feelings of self doubt and discovering my identity in STEM was one of the most challenging things I’ve had to do mainly because I felt like I didn’t have any support. That’s why I founded our all girls FTC team and why I’m grateful for initiatives like FIRSTLikeAGIRL. Through these resources I found a community that helped me not feel so alone anymore.
Why do you think FIRST is important for females?
FIRST is important for females because it provides a preview of what the workplace will look like. Through FIRST you learn the skills you need in order to thrive in the workplace and you get to do it all while spending time with your friends and building cool robots. They have workshops to help you learn skills applicable in most areas of life like collaboration, communication, problem solving, resourcefulness, public speaking, and more. Additionally, FIRST and FIRST teams have worked hard to make FIRST an accepting community for all. Consequently, FIRST is a safe place where females can find a community of likeminded individuals looking to explore engineering. The ample resources provided by FIRST, especially those like FIRSTLikeAGirl, serve as sources of support and inspiration, encouraging all to overcome roadblocks and pursue their passions.
What are your goals for the future?
Once I graduate, I hope to continue mentoring my FTC team and playing a role in the FIRST community. FIRST was where I discovered my love for engineering and is why I am currently pursuing computer engineering as my major. In college I plan to continue doing my part to remove the gender barrier in STEM and be a role model for younger generations.
What advice would you give to the younger generation of girls interested in STEAM fields?
I would tell younger generations of girls to always believe in and stick up for themselves because they deserve to be in STEM just as much as anyone else.
Do you have a woman you look up to/is your role model? If so, who is it and why?
A women I look up to is Ms.Lina, our team mentor. She is one of the most confident and inspirational women I know. Every time a member on our team is stuck or needs guidance we know we can turn to Mrs. Lina and she probably will have the answer. However, what makes Mrs.Lina truly inspirational is that when she doesn’t have the answer, she is willing to sit down with us and figure it out as well. She learns and grows with us, leading by example and demonstrating that we don’t have to know everything about engineering in order to succeed. We simply need passion and a desire to learn, and problem to solve and we can accomplish anything. I’m eternally grateful that Mrs.Lina is our team mentor and I will carry the lessons she’s taught me everywhere I go.
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