On the Shoulders of Giants
This past weekend, I manned the exhibitor booth at GeekGirlCon (GCC) as a member of the Operations team for Reinvented Magazine, the nation’s first print magazine by and for women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). It was a great opportunity to meet more girl geeks (and male allies), talk about the mission of Reinvented (“…to break down barriers and tell the untold stories of brilliant and inspiring women in STEM and to “reinvent” the general perception of women in STEM fields while inspiring interest in STEM for young women nationwide”), share the awesome work our team members are doing, and sell subscriptions and print or digital copies of our first and second issues — all while building our mailing list. Whew! That was a mouthful, and it was as busy as it sounds!
I also treated GGC as a #STEMforSocialGood activity for Bainbridge Island Girl Up, a chapter of the Girl Up movement that I founded and lead as president, and I extended the partnership by inviting and including female youth mentors from West Sound CoderDojo, where we help attendees of all ages learn how to code at a Western Washington University campus. Community partnerships are a big thing for me, and I always try to cast a wide net.
There were many highs (and even some lows) at the GGC, but an experience on the last day really stood out for me and compelled me to write on this blog. That Sunday, I ended up talking with two women — one who was of African-American and Filipino descent. Both were middle-aged and we spoke for about 30 minutes about their experiences as women in STEM, the barriers they’d faced, and how they persevered. One of the women, who was Caucasian, described having a daughter who was 24, an MIT graduate, and on a design team for America’s Cup. Talk about a wow! I love hearing about the successes of girls and women who pierce the glass ceiling, especially in STEM fields where we are so rare — or played a role in history but were made invisible. Sure enough, the woman started to share her daughter’s triumphs, but also her struggles and rejections. It was very moving and empowering for me, and a reminder of the peaks and valleys we will continue to encounter as girls and women who strive greatly.
At one point, the mom spoke of how her daughter was thrilled to be on the team but how even getting a yachting magazine to cover her journey was a challenge. She said her daughter was sometimes tired and discouraged, or felt alone. My mum was there and mostly listening and standing back so I could be the focus, and the four of us were locked into our own little world as we talked. But when my mum heard this last part, she finally spoke up, looking at the woman intently and holding her gaze.
Slowly, quietly, and firmly, my mum told the woman that she needs to tell her daughter that many women before her have endured so her daughter could stand on the shoulders of those giants, and now she must persevere because she and all the girls on Reinvented team were the giants now. That every girl will someday look at what her daughter accomplished and they will appreciate the trail she blazed and the spark she lit in their hearts and minds about what’s possible.
The other two women had tears in their eyes and the mom quietly said she would tell her daughter. I stood there with a lump in my throat, my heart swelling with pride for my mom and all the women before and with her who had struggled and triumphed so girls like me would take a chance and pursue our love of STEM or any passions we might have. It was an honor to have been a part of the conversation and to hear of their histories and how it landed them where they are today. I felt unspeakable pride and respect for my team at Reinvented, women who were phenomenal and not only chasing their dreams, but manifesting them.
Originally published on the MerrillKeating.com blog on November 19, 2019.
