Eden Prairie Schools is proud to present two students who received a #GirlsoftheFuture award. The award arose out of a social media campaign that sought to elevate young girls in STEM careers. The award, created by Allie Miller, an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning development expert at Amazon Web Services, and Anamita Guha, Lead Product Manager at IBM Watson, saw a growing need for women in the STEM field. Their goal is to inspire young girls to continue on their career path, leading to more technological advancements in scientific fields.
Only 12 girls were selected across the country as winners for 2021. Our communications team sat down with Harini and Abi to talk about their inspirations for pursuing STEM and how Eden Prairie Schools continue to inspire them and their work.
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Harini Senthilkumar
How did EP prepare you to connect with professors at the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas?
Since my middle school years, being an Eden Prairie student has entailed opportunities for enriched learning in STEM areas. My learning in STEM in EP has given me exposure to unique topics and fostered a love for all things science. Not only has EP challenged and allowed me to grow academically, but it has also helped me develop networking and interpersonal skills. School courses and participation in activities such as the Speech Team and the Student Globe have provided me with the tools and confidence to build connections with such accomplished scholars in the STEM field.
Abi Rajesekaran
Many of my science courses led me to discover more about my passion for environmental science. Specifically, my biology and chemistry classes have taught me to be aware of the environment and find ways to protect it. These classes inspired me to self-study environmental science. The knowledge I gained from environmental science motivated me to conduct a science fair project revolving around zebra mussels and their negative impact on the environment.