Snacks with Scientists

Seniors in the National Honor Society at High Technology High School, part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District and located on the Lincroft campus of Brookdale Community College, hosted Snacks with Scientists for middle school girls on October 18.

Sponsored by Brookdale, the annual event introduced middle school girls to female scientists in all different areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Approximately 70 girls from middle schools across Monmouth County participated in the event where they got to meet the female scientists, hear about their careers, and ask questions.

According to Malik Javaid, a senior at High Technology High School who helped coordinate the event, the event is designed to expose girls to scientist role models to encourage their interest in STEM careers. “We are trying to get them interested in STEM and to see what all of these female mentors in our community have been doing,” he said.

Javaid said the lack of females interested in STEM careers and degrees was evident in the incoming freshman class of High Technology High School this September. “There are like maybe 15 girls and 50 or 60 boys in this year’s freshman class, so we decided to hold the event for seventh and eighth grade girls,” Javaid said.

“A lot of people are already interested in STEM already, but I think its good that we give girls an opportunity to learn more about STEM in general,” Brianna Yao, a senior at High Technology High School who helped coordinate the event, said.

Caption: Sisters Nicole and Andrea Waxman who attend Marlboro Memorial Middle School attended the High Tech High School event because they both are interested in science.