ExploRIII 2014 Volume 2 | Page 29

League of HER wn 29 P io Prior to beginning her freshman year at the Ninth Grade Center, Josy Teson had decided on a Prior to beg g care r ath career path. Teson plans to make robotic prosthetics “when she grows up” and already has a great career path. Te e st art on building start on buildin her resume`. ta u ldin n By third grade, she had her first taste of robotics through her school and competed in the First Lego By third grade, hird ra e d League rough co L g e through scouting. At Troy Middle School, she was one of a handful of female students in the League through sco ugh Technology Student Association and one of only three females on the eighth grade robotics team. She was Technolo y tudent Technology Student o e t in charge f programming the robot. i charge of program h rge rogram gram Through her robotics experiences, this young scientist has noted she is entering a male-dominated field. Through her robotics hr ugh her ob t g Last year at a competiti in Belton, Missouri, 30 middle and high school robotics teams competed. With Las e Last year t competition mpetit ti approximately six studen per robotics team, Teson estimates only nine female competitors of the 180 students appr ap r x matel six stud approximately s studen ely students. Females comp s udents e ales comprised 5% of the competition and a third of the female students were from Teson's students. Females comp nts. e school. s hool school. ol Historically, women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields. Hist His orica ly, women Historically, wome y men e According Acco d n to White According to a White House report, women who do work in STEM fields earn an c hite average of 33% m average of 33% more than females in unrelated careers. verag g 3 Teson is a self-p Teson is self-proclaimed nerd; a minority group of her own choosing. eson on efp “I take that as a compliment. I know I am not athletic. “I take that ak hat The most athle thing about me is my brain. I can use it non-stop,” Th most t le The most athletic she said. She ad she said. She admits even the stereotypical definition “nerd” doesn’t h sa d Sh d really fit her either. real real y really he “If you think about the stereotype of a nerd, it’s a guy. “If yo yo You’re thinking a tall skinny guy that always plays video You’ e You’re u games. He’s going to be super smart, programs robots g me games and builds them in his basement,” Teson and bu n bu explains. “There are girls that are just explain xplain as smart (as boys) and just as nerdy.” as smart mar "Lisa Burkemper Team" LISA Coose-Burkemper AVERAGES A PROPERTY SOLD EVERY 3 DAYS! Seller Specialist DONNA Norton-Vickrey Buyer Specialist #1 For Residential Sales in Lincoln County ɽ