The Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS) was a proud participant in DISCOVERY Children’s Museum’s Girl Powered event Oct. 27 in Las Vegas. Striving to redefine the face of STEM, the third annual forum aims to engage girls and young women in their career possibilities through science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
NNSS Senior Engineer Dr. Alex Washington gave a special presentation with lessons learned throughout her education and career, imparting how to translate your motivations and passions into meaningful contributions, the value in building your community to support you through challenges and the importance of having female representation.
“All our differences make us unique,” she said. “They make us stronger, and they give us the chance to see the world through another person’s eyes. That’s how we get more perspectives on what’s going on around us. As women, we’re going to bring a fresh new take to engineering and science. We have perspectives that haven’t been considered before, and we see the world a little bit differently. It’s important to share that. By sharing our takes, we’re expanding our thoughts, our minds, and when we bring that to the world, it means we get better science.”
Dr. Washington also shared her favorite aspects of the NNSS, including discovering new things every day, collaborating with a supportive team and co-workers who have worked at the NNSS through the decades, conducting research and trainings, performing 3D modeling, monitoring machine assembly and teaming with the National Laboratories. She holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and two bachelor’s degrees, one in entertainment engineering and design and one in mechanical engineering.
“When I was younger, we didn’t have events like these,” said Dr. Washington. “I didn’t learn about the STEM community until I was much older. Having a place of belonging and a sense of community is so important in this field. Making those connections is how we share our ideas, gifts and talents. I believe that it is important to teach young people that there is a community out there waiting for them and looking to uplift them.”
According to the National Science Foundation, women comprise 35 percent of STEM occupations. Following the presentation, students met with Dr. Washington to ask questions surrounding STEM fields and gain insights for educational pathways.
“STEM is constantly in need of creative and brilliant people with diverse backgrounds,” added Dr. Washington. “I really feel it is important to engage students when they are young because one small moment can make a big difference. If more students can see for themselves how they can fit into the STEM field, they can enter the field without fear or doubt because now they know they belong there. Now they know there are people in STEM who will support them.”
