Zena – Breaking Barriers for Girls in STEM

Zena, TechGirls 2024, Jordan

My passion for STEM started with my interest in medicine. I was fascinated by how technology, especially AI, is changing the way we diagnose and treat diseases. The more I learned about how data and algorithms could literally save lives, the more I realized that I wanted to be part of the intersection between healthcare and technology.

This interest led me to the TechGirls program. Participating in the 2024 program changed the way I see myself. I went in curious but unsure, and came out way more confident– not just in my technology skills, but also in speaking up, sharing ideas, and taking initiative. TechGirls was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity which made me realize that I do belong in this field, and that I have something valuable to bring to the table. TechGirls gave me direction, and made me realize how I want to use tech to solve real world problems. The skills, mentorship, and community I gained through TechGirls set me up to pursue STEM with purpose and confidence, and showed me that I don’t have to wait until “someday” to start making an impact.

Recently, I organized an impactful workshop in my home country. Nineteen eager 5th grade girls participated in a 90-minute STEM workshop I led to address the lack of STEM education opportunities for young female students in my country. The workshop was designed to make STEM approachable and exciting through hands-on scientific experiments. During the session, the girls worked together to explore basic physics concepts using simple materials and created their own chemical reactions to learn about chemistry. One student, who initially hesitated to participate, lit up when her experiment succeeded and later expressed her newfound interest in becoming a scientist. The group discussions revealed curiosity and engagement, with many students asking questions about careers in STEM.

By the end of the workshop, several girls shared that they had never experienced anything like this before and felt encouraged to explore STEM further. One student said, “I didn’t know science could be this fun.”

This workshop served as a small but impactful step toward closing the gender gap in STEM by inspiring these young girls to consider new possibilities for their futures.