The Bridgewater-Raritan High School Women in STEM Club held its annual Guest Speaker Conference in the library on Friday, November 14.

Women in STEM is a club that strives to inspire students to explore their passion in STEM fields, science, technology, engineering, and math. They offer many opportunities to explore these fields, gain mentorship, volunteer and more.

The conference began with the Co-Presidents, Nandini Kuppachi and Vivian Nguyen, introducing the conference alongside each guest speaker.

After being introduced, the guest speakers rotated between six tables, spending around twelve minutes with each.

From the engineering field, students had the opportunity to speak with Elisavet Gallou. She is a systems engineer and is currently a Deputy Technical Director at Lockheed Martin. She provided the students with insight into engineering and answered their related questions.

Dr. Carrie Feeney, the AP Chemistry Teacher at Bridgewater-Raritan High School and advisor of the Women in STEM club, shared her thoughts on the field of chemistry. She discussed her extensive experience, spanning both industry and academia.

The medicine field was represented by Dr. Judith Amorosa, who is the Clinical Professor of Radiology and the Vice Chair for Medical Education and Faculty Development. Her expertise in the Radiology field provided valuable career insights as well as a day-to-day breakdown for students pursuing a career in medicine.

From the field of psychology, Dr. Maria Rodriguez discussed her experiences as a young child that inspired her to become a psychologist and her vision to uplift communities. Her riveting life story kept students engaged, and students had fun learning a little bit about how psychology works. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and is also the Founder of Care Counseling Center.

Dr. Kimberly Westen represented the mathematics field through her thorough knowledge and passion for the field. She expressed her love for math since childhood, often doing advanced calculus problems for fun, which ultimately led to her profession as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University.

As an expert in the field of physics, astrophysicist Madisen Johnson was invited to attend the guest speaker conference. She discussed her experience as a woman in the STEM field and the research she is currently working on, which focuses on how stars form in galaxies. Her clear passion for astronomy and physics compelled students to learn more about the subject.

Students were able to spend time with each speaker in groups of three to five people, allowing for a more personal experience. Students asked them the multitude of questions they had, and in case the conversation slowed down, students had pre-made questions to pick from.

At the end of the conference, students received notebooks and envelopes with motivational messages from Dr. Maria Rodriguez. Students wished that they had more time to spend with the guest speakers, but as always, all good things must come to an end.

Vivian Nguyen, the Co-President, shared the planning of the conference and the overall experience.

“The conference went as planned, which makes me relieved, knowing that Nandini  (Kuppachi) and I wanted to host a guest speaker conference before the start of the school year. We had spent months reaching out to female professors and experts in STEM, while also weighing out the costs, overall attendance, and logistics. Every 15-20 minutes, the guest speakers rotated tables to speak to new aspiring high school students interested in STEM… I hope this event has enabled students to have various ideas on the career path they want to take in the future!”

Arshiya Aggarwal, a sophomore and member of the club, shared her experience with the conference.

“I thought it was extremely rewarding, especially being able to personally talk to experts in various fields. Being able to ask questions to them questions directly to gain more insight on how their lives are or what they did to get to the place they are now is an opportunity that doesn’t come often, so it was exciting! I thought it was also well-planned, and the conference ran smoothly. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and hope to see more opportunities like this in the future!”