Last night, or actually very early this morning (we love the late nights) the topic of gender distribution in STEM was brought to my mind.
In the past, I always thought of holistic review being the most fair approach to tryouts for instance. One’s pure performance would get them on to the team, regardless of who they are outside of this. But recently my view point has been changed, and I have to give a lot of credit to my girlfriend.
Because frankly, I was ignorant.
And I’ll explain this through an experience. When choosing teams for Science Bowl, I felt proud of my new system that prioritzed dedication over knowledge in one timestamp. We did this by having different expectations for people based on the classes they took, regardless of what they could studied. The rationale behind this lied in that our environments cultivate who we are. Being around chemistry would teach you chemistry. Surrounded in Calculus would prepare you better for math.
But in the same light, I should have taken into account gender.
I have seen it firsthand, its exponentially more difficult for woman to be comfortable in STEM, reducing their chances of experience. And this reduced chance mars the concept of holistic review, which assumes that everyone has equal opportunity. While in some way it sounds sexist, I should have lowered the bar for them. The expectation of where they should be at should rather be seen in the perspective of dedication.
This is not to say I believe in quotas. I would not force myself to take someone who I did not believe in just to fill some arbitrary number. But rather I should have been more understanding.
I think it’s time to change this narrative. Taking inspiration from my girlfriend’s prowess, I want girls to experience STEM earlier. To never feel like an outsider in this beautiful world that gives me comfort. And as the next president of Space Pickles Rocketry is likely a woman, these next six months, we are no longer being ignorant and will welcome change.