Meet Gabriela
Gabriela is 14 years old and in ninth grade in West Palm Beach, Florida.
She loves expressing her creativity through designing, programming and building. She also enjoys gardening, baking and spending time on her farm.
“My dream is to become a mechanical engineer and, along the way, to help girls like me find their career paths in STEM fields.”
Gabriela tells us how her dreams all got started.
“It all started in elementary school when I joined the robotics club afterschool, and that's where I learned that I could put my favorite skills to practice. That later carried on to middle school, where I continued to participate in FIRST competitions. I just had fun working at a team. I love teamwork, leadership and problem-solving.”
Gabriela tells us how participation in afterschool robotics and her competitions helped her practice her favorite skills.
“During those challenges, my team and I made many mistakes, but we learned from them. For example, we struggled at first to pick a project idea, but then we figured out that we could get to an easier conclusion if we all took a vote. We included everyone's opinion and we eventually got to a final decision.”
Gabriela loves living on a farm and taking care of her animals. She reflects on how her appreciation for both engineering and farming have come together.
“A lot of problems in farming can be solved by mechanical engineering. For example, when you go off on vacation and someone needs to feed the animals, but you can't find someone. I started designing an automatic feeder a couple of years ago, because we were going on a trip and I didn't want her (Gaby’s pig ‘Piggy’) to go hungry; she gets feisty when she gets hungry. I started to design an automatic feeder based off of other ideas that were already out there. I wasn't able to finish it, but it was a start and I enjoyed doing it.”
Gabriela’s robotics coach was an instrumental mentor, helping to spark her interest in STEM and encourage her growth.
“My robotics coach’s support and her dedication to the club really was a motivating factor for me to continue in STEM activities and to decide that I wanted to be an engineer. She made me feel included and not as if I was the only girl. We all felt equal and we all felt valued for who we are.”
Gaby encourages other young women to get excited about STEM.
“I definitely want to support more girls who are going through the same thing as me and create more programs where they feel comfortable and have the safe environment to express their interest or explore their interest in STEM.
The problem usually originates in girls thinking they're the only girls in their clubs. So, I would like to share with girls is that even if you are the only one, you can still achieve your dream. There are many famous people who have done it before, and you don't even have to be famous to do it. All you have to do is have perseverance, because no matter if people tell you it's not for girls or you don't fit in or if you feel excluded, it's all about you and you have to make the choices to get to your dreams.”
