What do you love most about STEM?

'EVERYTHING! STEM is exciting, fun, challenging, and rewarding. You get to work on things that can benefit society and the environment, and be creative in the process.'

We asked Denise, what is the best part about working in STEM?

'There is something for everyone - whether you want to work in a lab or work outdoors; whether you like taking things apart or finding new ways of doing things. There is a role for you in STEM.'

Meet our July Role Model, Denise Pothier!

Denise earned her Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from Dalhousie University and her MBA from Athabasca University. She currently works as Vice-President of Practice Services at Stantec.

What made you decide to pursue a career in STEM?

'I loved learning new things and always felt like the world of STEM offered endless possibilities to do just that. The world of venture capital is global and constantly changing and shifting.'

Meet our June role model, Aaleen Anjum!

Aaleen was born in Pakistan, raised in Ireland, and moved to Canada when she was 18 with her family. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Biology and Psychology, from the University of New Brunswick in 2015!

What do you think is the biggest misconception about women in STEM?

'I think there is this misconception that you can’t be feminine
and work in STEM. That couldn’t be further from the truth... Consider a
STEM career and own it when you head into work.'

What do you love about your work?

'I love working with my team. At Ripple Studios, we have a team of engineers, artists, and game designers. We all work together to brainstorm and come up with fun ideas to engage our players to love STEM.'

What makes you feel confident?

'Optimism is the key to feeling confident. I may not have it all figured out today or even tomorrow but I’m confident that I’ll forge a solution to every challenge I face through optimism and determination.'

Meet our May Role Model Mallory Maynard! Mallory graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing Management from Ryerson University in 2020. She is currently the Co-Founder of Ripple Studios.

What made you decide to pursue a career in STEM?

'When I heard about the scope and the impact of becoming an industrial and manufacturing engineer, I could not see myself doing anything else.'

What makes you feel confident?

'Getting prepared and learning something new every day, I work hard on preparing myself as much as possible.'

Meet our April Role Model Karla Arancivia!

Karla Arancivia graduated with her Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Technological Institute of Saltillo (Instituto Tecnológico de Saltillo), in 2016.'

What makes you feel confident?

'Knowing that I’ve given something my 100% - no room for regret.'

What is your earliest memory of being intrigued by STEM?

'Math was always my favourite subject in grade school. But the first time I was really intrigued by STEM was probably seeing my first comet and solar eclipse when I was around 10 years old.'

Meet our March Role Model Sara Mazrouei!

Sara Mazrouei got her PhD in Planetary Geology from the University of Toronto. She is currently an Educational Developer (STEM) at TMU.

We asked Jelissa, what made you decide to pursue a career in STEM?

- Jelissa De Torres, 2023 Calendar

'Growing up, all the careers I aspired to pursue had a common theme of being unconventional for a young girl to express interest in. This picture shows when I went through my 'I want to be a firefighter!' phase.'

- Jelissa De Torres, 2023 Calendar - Throwback Photo