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Arushi Nath, Grade 9 Student. Toronto.

I had a fantastic opportunity to attend an annual Launchpad Mentorship Event at the University of Toronto’s Hart House on 9 November 2023. Tundra Technical Solutions, a global staffing firm, organized the events. It was aimed at encouraging young women to pursue STEM-oriented careers.

Organizations around the world are understanding the role of STEM in solving ongoing and emerging challenges, so much so that 8 November is celebrated as National STEM Day. We must encourage, train and mentor generations of youths to tackle these challenges. This event was an excellent initiative to mentor high school female students from Grades 9 – 12 in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Almost 150 students from across Toronto and the region attended the event. In addition, around 20 mentors from several organizations gathered to interact with the students. Many staff members from Tundra were also present to support the event. I was eager to participate in the event as I am fascinated with the new opportunities that open with STEM education and projects. Having won the top award at the 2023 and 2022 Canada-Wide Science Fair and Second Prize at the European Contest for Young Scientists in Brussels, I am conscious of the role of STEM in the lives of young people.

Keynote Speech: Science and Space is for All

The evening started with a keynote speech from Margot Lee Shetterly, the author of Hidden Figures book. Hidden Figures explores the biographies of three African-American women who worked as computers to solve problems for engineers and others at NASA.

In her speech, she talked about her journey writing the book and what drew her to the topic. The fact that one of the three women was her neighbour was a big inspiring force. She shared the background of these brilliant women mathematicians, their personal stories, anecdotes and the crucial roles they played during the Space Race.

Several questions were posed to her, including how she felt about having her book transformed into a movie before the book was even complete and how students could merge their other passions with science.

Panel Discussion: Science and Space is for All

Following the keynote speech, there was a panel discussion with women leaders in the STEM domain. The Launchpad Event panel featured an impressive lineup of leaders: Anne Steptoe, VP of Infrastructure at Wealthsimple; Linda Siksna, SVP of Technology Ops and Platforms at Canadian Tire; Natasha Nelson, VP of Ecostruxure at Schneider Electric; and Allison Atkins, National Leader for Cloud Endpoint at Microsoft. 

The panel was moderated by Marisa Sterling, Assistant Dean and Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Professionalism at the University of Toronto. The panellists represented various STEM domains, from energy corporate responsibility to technology and environment. 

After giving a short introduction, each panellist talked about their journey in STEM, what challenges they faced along the way and how it led to their respective careers. I found it inspiring that each of the women took different pathways to achieve their aspirations, yet all of them were united in their desire to see more young women enter STEM fields.

Mentorship Sessions: Sharing Advice, Encouragement and Opportunities

After the panel, the event transitioned into mentorship sessions. The students were divided into smaller groups based on their table, each led by a mentor specializing in a particular STEM field. These 20-minute sessions provided an invaluable opportunity by allowing the mentees to ask questions to the mentors about their career journey and seek advice on pursuing their interests. 

It was interesting to hear that while many mentors changed their career interests after getting a degree, the soft skills they learned while studying, like time management and speaking, were invaluable in their current position.

Prizes and Awards: Winning 2023 Mentee of the Year Award

At the beginning of the event, all mentees were given 5 raffle tickets to go towards prizes of their choice ranging from books to headphones and telescopes. Towards the end, the raffle results were drawn in, and the winners were called to the stage. I was happy to have won the Hidden Figures book autographed by Margot Lee Shetterly herself.

At the end of the raffle, I was surprised to hear my name called on the stage. I was honoured to receive the 2023 Mentee of the Year Award. I thanked the organizers for this gesture and for organizing such a wonderful evening of fun, learning and networking.

It was energetic to meet so many young women and established leaders in STEM. We all went back home filled with new ideas and inspired by the support of the community behind us. Thank you for this amazing event and I look forward to attending again next year!