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Influence of STEM in Younger Girls · Divas That Care Network

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: It's Divas That Care Radio.
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  SPEAKER_02: Right now, though, stay tuned for another jolt of inspiration.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_03: Hello to all.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to Divas That Care Network.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_03: I am Joyce Benning, and I am your host for this robust lifestyle show.
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  SPEAKER_03: Please check out our website, DivasThatCare.com, and see all the amazing hosts and their shows of women they are interviewing around the world.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_03: I am so very excited today to have a new young diva, Kosha Bitu, with me, and she is going to speak on the influence of STEM in younger girls, which truly sounds very interesting.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_03: Kosha Bitu, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself?
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, so...
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me on the show.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: And my name is Kosha Batu, and I'm a rising junior at Grimsley High School.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: I am a member of the Girls in STEM club at my school, and I really like getting involved with the clubs at my school, like Science Olympiad and Girls in STEM, just to be engaged with others who share the same interests as me.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my, you are a very busy young lady being involved in all these different activities in school.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_03: How exciting.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_03: Well, can you share with our listeners and give them a little more explanation of what STEM is?
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, so basically STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: And these are the four specific categories which are subdivided into many topics that are intertwined to provide many career options and fields of study, such as a career in both technology and mathematics or a career in science and technology.
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  SPEAKER_00: So there's many options to choose from, and that's basically what STEM is.
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  SPEAKER_03: Oh, my.
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  SPEAKER_03: Wow, it has a lot involved in it.
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  SPEAKER_03: Wow, there is all kinds of fields to look at when you're looking at the stem.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, how exciting.
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  SPEAKER_03: Well, Kasia, what cause is near and dear to you?
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: So a cause that is near and dear to me is to make an influence on younger girls about STEM and basically about the STEM field.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I really just want to make a difference in young girls by introducing them to the STEM field and informing them about more opportunities in their future.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_03: That's great.
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  SPEAKER_03: But when you say young girls, what age group do you try to bring into the STEM clubs and trying to tell them about STEM?
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, my main focus is girls in middle school, so 6th to 8th grade, ages around there, just because I Personally, for me, that was where I was a little confused about what I wanted to do in the future and what career I wanted.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: So that age, I really wish I had an introduction to STEM when I was younger, in like sixth or seventh grade, and then I could have, you know, getting a new experience for that.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I just really want girls in that age group to get an experience and possibly have what I wish I had.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yes.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, my.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_03: So you are sharing from your own personal experiences when you're talking about helping girls in the middle school age.
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  SPEAKER_03: Oh, how neat.
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  SPEAKER_03: Well, was there an aha moment in your life or something that got you really interested in STEMM?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so there was an aha moment for me.
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  SPEAKER_00: So ever since I was younger, I was always interested in the arts and literature field.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: But at one point, almost at the beginning of high school, like ninth grade, I had a realization that my interests had changed.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: And how I found this out was attending STEM camps and events.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I just started to do some research, talk to other about find out about them and it just turned out that I really like those camps and events so I started attending more and it turns out that it was something I was really passionate about so I continued to do that
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: so you found your true passion by starting to attend some of the stem activities that were offered
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: and
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, how exciting.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_03: So that kind of tells what your passion is and your cause as helping other girls, younger girls, and introducing them into the STEM field.
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  SPEAKER_03: And why has this developed such a passion and a cause for you?
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, it's all about how I was experienced with STEM.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I was introduced to STEM later on, and so I just wanted girls to gain a new experience on STEM earlier on so they have more time to think about it, more opportunities to experience.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I just am really passionate about it because it is something that I am interested in, and anything that could make a difference on other people's experiences is great.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
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  SPEAKER_03: Well, how do you go about then supporting your passion and your cause?
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  SPEAKER_03: What are some of the activities that you do to support it?
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: So me, I get involved a lot in STEM programs such as summer camps or tech days.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: So locally, there are STEM programs and like IT for girls and the AAUW Association.
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  SPEAKER_00: And basically, I have volunteered as STEM session assistant and help the students learn and figure out anything that any problems that they're interested in.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I just like to share my opportunities with young girls are interested so for example um we did lead a summer camp uh this summer and so i just shared the information with other girls that i knew who would be interested so i just like to share my personal experiences and also any other opportunities with those girls um
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_03: Great.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_03: Well, you mentioned you did a summer camp this summer for STEM girls.
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  SPEAKER_03: Would you like to share a little bit more about that summer camp and how that all came together for you?
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  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
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  SPEAKER_00: So it was...
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  SPEAKER_00: Aranya told me about this.
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  SPEAKER_00: So she is the president of Girls in STEM Club at our school.
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  SPEAKER_00: So me and three other girls, we were part of this week-long program where students got to choose which session they wanted to be a part of.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: So they could choose science, technology, engineering.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: and math and I led the math session and the other leaders led their own sessions and basically the students got to do activities and learn new information about the specific session so for math that was the session that I led so they did some activities where they learned about new math skills and how they could interpret it in their real life and it was it was really fun
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, I bet.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_03: Now, did you do this online?
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_03: Was it a virtual, like through a Zoom call?
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, so it was through a Zoom conference.
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  SPEAKER_00: So since we have the whole COVID-19 thing going, conditions obviously changed.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: So it was virtual, and I think putting it virtual allowed more people who couldn't make it to be involved in this.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yes.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_03: I would totally agree with that because some girls that were out of town or even out of state could now attend when it was done as a virtual.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_03: Is this something your club is going to think about doing in the future?
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  SPEAKER_03: So if some of the girls want to get involved in something like this, that it will be an ongoing camp?
• 9:10
  UNKNOWN: No.
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  SPEAKER_00: When I attended the club meetings, the leadership team, they did tell us about opportunities that they would like to do, as in, like, go to our school gym and host a STEM curriculum night.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: So they do have some ideas to do camps like that.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: In February, we did go to a STEM conference and volunteer there, and it was led by the Girls in STEM Club at our school.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, my.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_03: Well, and the experience you are getting through this, because putting on these virtual conference and events like that and lining everyone up, that takes some organization.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_03: So your experience that the girls receive through these clubs is amazing, too.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_03: That is incredible, Kasha.
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  SPEAKER_03: Oh, my.
• 10:02
  UNKNOWN: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_03: I bet you feel like you've done all kinds of things already, especially now with the changes and doing everything in a virtual environment.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_03: Well, that kind of brings to another question I'm going to ask you on how has it helped you to develop different skills and what difference is that helping make in your life?
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: So there are a lot of skills that I've gotten through this whole experience.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: So I really gained time management skills because that was always something I struggled with.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: But I got ahead of time and I planned out my stuff.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: So time management skills are something big that I gained out of it.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: Also, something big is confidence when talking to other people and just having talking skills with other people and communication skills.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: I was talking with young girls at these camps or helping them out or answering any questions they have.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: And it just...
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, my.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: And
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_03: those are all life skills that you will take with you in the future also.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_03: That is incredible.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_03: And how so many of us deal with time management and communicating and Well, how can other young girls that would like to get involved in STEM, how do you recommend them to pursue into that field and learn more about it?
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: So what I would recommend is other girls can get involved by talking to others who have interests or careers in the STEM field.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: I would also recommend doing some research just on Google or on the Internet just to gain more knowledge and information.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: That was something that I did and it personally helped me a lot.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: And lastly, I would say just attend or look for local STEM events that are near you or maybe like websites that will help you out in figuring out if you're interested in STEM.
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  SPEAKER_03: Good.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_03: Good advice, Lauren.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_03: That is great.
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  SPEAKER_03: One, you mentioned an AUW association.
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  SPEAKER_03: Is that something that's involved with STEM, too?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, so the AAUW Association is basically women or girls in STEM, and they held one of the first IT camps that I attended.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: So that was where I gained my interest in STEM, and they also held other events like IT Camp, Tech Savvy, and all those type of events.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: So that was where I gained a lot of my interest.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
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  SPEAKER_03: That is good information.
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  SPEAKER_03: We will post that on here to look into the AUW Association too.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_03: And also, you are involved with the Grimsley's Girls in STEM program.
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  SPEAKER_03: Is this a club where some of the other listeners, young girls, could reach out to you and get some information and advice on how to possibly start a STEM club in their school?
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I am a member of the Girls in STEM Club at my school.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: So Ananya Sharma, she started this club last year.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: So we've been doing a lot of things, but I think it is definitely a place where they could contact the club or the leadership team and ask them about how they could start their own STEM club or if they have any questions about STEM itself.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: I think that would be a really good opportunity.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yes.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_03: That sounds fantastic because that gives them an opportunity to speak to young girls like yourself that have started this club.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_03: opportunities and the doors that have been opened for you through this.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, that is great.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_03: Great.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_03: Well, you are a very busy high school girl.
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  SPEAKER_03: So what is your secret to share with others on balancing your high school work and still giving back to the community like you do?
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: So in the beginning, I did struggle with time management, but I Honestly, for me, I just bought a planner and I wrote everything down and I was just planning every event that I had or anything that I had to attend.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: But being part of something that I'm passionate about really doesn't feel like I have to make time for it.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm already interested to do it, so I don't mind having to make time.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just happy that I have an opportunity to do what I want to do.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, my.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, that is a great way.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_03: Managing your time.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_03: How critical.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_03: Because I saw in your bio, too, that you get involved in your community also.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_03: And along with the STEM, you are also...
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_03: You want to share a little bit with the girls on some other opportunities that you have gotten involved in through your community?
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I volunteer...
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: few times every month at the Greensboro Science Center and so it's a local science center near where I live and it's basically where I go and volunteer there a couple times a month to help out the visitors and talk with them and engage with them and just supervise the area that I'm told to do so that was involving in the community and during the summer we have another small committee where I volunteer it's like a small fall event it's just games and like having fun so that's where I also get involved
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: oh my wow you are very busy you have to have time management to fit all of that in on top of the school work and family and everything oh that is just great wow well what do you see is next for you in your high school future and on to college then
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm really trying to focus on my academics because that is really important to me.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: But I do want to go to a college where I can pursue my career.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I was looking towards NC State or UNC Chapel Hill.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: That's where I want to go and continue my studies.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: But also after college, I still want to keep on volunteering and being part of those STEM events just to make a change and just keep on continuing doing those.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, that is...
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_03: Incredible.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_03: How awesome.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_03: You have a vision of where you want to be and where you want to go.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_03: And you have goals set already and using time management.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, my gosh.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_03: You really have it all together.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_03: That is really neat.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well,
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_03: this has been such a fun interview.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_03: I have just loved visiting with you and having you share your information with our listeners.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_03: And as we start to come to a close, what are some thoughts, tips, or tools you would like to leave with our listeners today?
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: So I would just say if...
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: the listeners especially.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: So if they have anything that they're interested in or something that they want to do, I would just say go for it.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be scared to try out new things.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: Keep on trying out different opportunities and experiences because you would never know what you'll be interested in.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: I never thought I would be a part of the STEM field or be interested in it, but I just explored other events and just found out that I was interested.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: So just don't be scared to do what you want to do and also try to Look for new experiences.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, wow.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_03: Those are some great tips and tools to leave with our listeners.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_03: I love them.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_03: That is wonderful.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_03: Well, Kasia, I want to thank you so much for being my guest.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_03: And I hope you will return and keep us updated on all your junior year in high school and senior year in future college and all your STEM activities.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_03: You're very, very busy.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_03: So I am hoping in the future you will come back and keep us updated on everything.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_03: Of course.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for having me.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_03: You are so welcome.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_03: Very welcome.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_03: And I want to thank all of our listeners for listening to this interview with our new young diva, Kasha Bitu.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_03: Please share this show with your family and friends.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_03: Be sure to check out all the hosts and their shows on DivasThatCare.com.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_03: Have a fantastic day.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_03: Remember, be kind to all, give your animals a hug, and share your love with them.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_03: Until we connect again on Robust Lifestyles, stay strong and healthy.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for listening.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: This show was brought to you by Divas That Care.
• 19:37
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