STEM Savvy Mentor

We're going to the World Championship!!! 🎉🎉🎉

I'm so incredibly proud of my students! The championship starts TOMORROW! Looking forward to seeing teams from all over the world! 🌎

Will you be there?? Let me know! 💚

Congrats! You did it — your research article is a reality. Celebrate your success with something special – a toast to the hard work that went into creating it with an awesome customized mug just for you!

You can get this personalized article mug from:
www.etsy.com/shop/STEMsavvyMentor


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Are you looking for a way to commemorate your research and hard work?
Get yourself or collaborate with colleagues in the research world with this one-of-a-kind customized mug!
Put any article, paper - anything really - right onto it.
Then every time you take a sip of that delicious cup of joe (or tea!), be reminded of all the amazing effort poured into achieving those published works.
Make great memories with each cup -- get yours today!

👉This thoughtful mug can be found on my Etsy shop below:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/stemsavvymentor

✨Here's what you'll get:
👉Large mug, 15 oz
👉HD print on the mug

🌟You can message me through my Etsy shop for more customization.

Y'all!! ✨ We qualified for the FIRST Robotics World Championship!! 🎉🎉🎉

So proud of all my students! They worked so hard and overcame so many challenges to get here 💚

We aren't just tested on the competition field with our robot but also in the judge's room where a small group interview with a judge panel based on community impact.

They did an amazing job and have so much to be proud of 🥰

I'll be with them at the world championship in Houston, Texas next week! We are hosting TWO networking events open to all competition participants!

Girls Get Together is an event geared towards networking girls in FIRST Robotics with Women in STEM

Being Brilliant and Black in STEM is an event focused on networking black youth in FIRST Robotics with black STEM professionals

So proud of these young adults making an impact and leaving a legacy 😍



black.builders

Did we have an impact?
Yes! ✨
Did we make new friends?
Yes! ✨
Did we have a blast???
YESSS!!! ✨

With over 75 people attending, we had such a great time hosting Girls Get Together at the FIRST Robotics UIL State Championship at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.

I had the privilege of meeting girls from all over the state to hear about their challenges, listen to their stories and answer their questions.

I really value all the connections I am able to make with these inspiring girls! ⚙️🤍

Looking forward to our next event at the World Championship in Houston 😍

Check out these awesome shoes I made for my robotics team 🔥

I'll be wearing them when we compete at the State Championship next week 😎

If you would like some custom shoes for your team... Let me know! I'm already working on designs for other teams ✨

Had a blast with all my students today but especially all my new friends from Girls Get Together!

It's a fun networking event for girls in STEM we host at competitions!

We get so busy at competition and fixing the robot, we miss opportunities to connect and network. So this is just one way for me to better engage my students and meet girls on other teams.

I had so much fun! 💚 These girls make my day every day we're together ✨

"Where Are All The Men?"
I'll get to that disappointing quote from the President of Purdue.

First, I'd like to introduce you to my favorite Boilermaker of all time. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the pleasure of sharing my life with him for the past 8 years.

We've accomplished a lot. Both separately & together.

I'm not with him because he's an engineer (though we met mentoring high school robotics students 10 years ago which helped).

I'm with him because he is kind, empathetic and extremely passionate about having a positive impact on his community, particularly kids in grade school.

He spends a great deal of his time and energy learning to be more inclusive and more understanding of the people around him, especially me, but also underrepresented & underserved communities.

More importantly, he listens and engages in uncomfortable topics related to inclusivity. I find this to be a rare, brave quality. And he doesn't do this randomly. He does this with intentionality and purpose. He adapts his thoughts and actions then puts it into practice as a leader at work, as a volunteer and personal relationships.

I don't expect this level of emotional intelligence from everyone but I expected something better than what I saw today from the President of Purdue in his Annual Open Letter.

An excerpt from his section titled 'Where are all the men?':

"Purdue cannot solve this looming national problem, but sending out thousands of exceptional young engineers, computer scientists, and other technology experts who happen to be men is a contribution few other institutions are making."

If you read the full section, you'll find that the 'national problem' he is referring to is that women are outnumbering men in college which is causing women to seek out men with equal or greater education level (or chosing to not pursue a relationship) resulting in lower birth rates.

I find this take very disappointing. Honestly, it's messages like this coming from a position of power that is lowering the birth rate. 🤦‍♀️

I would like to say 'thank you' to all the men out there trying to be understanding of others and putting it into practice rather than being defensive.

It's kick-off time! 💪

It's the biggest robotics family we've ever had! So excited to see so many alumni here too! 💚

Good luck teams! 🤖

🎶I'd like to take this opportunity and toast to me for being exactly who I'm supposed to be 🎶

📣Say it with me y'all!

Ever since I heard this new song from Macklemore, this line has been resonating with me!

The past year (and every year) has had it's ups and downs. I do my best not to dwell on 'what I didn't do right' or what I 'missed out on'.

I always look forward to each new year being better than the last and 2022 is no different.

So why am I in this ridiculously comfy robe singing Macklemore???

Because tonight is the calm before the storm. It's the last night before we kick-off the 2022 robotics build season. It's the last night before the delightful chaos ensues.

Tomorrow I get to start several weeks of intense mentoring before several weeks of intense competition with my robotics students.

When parents thank me, I tell them it's my pleasure to be a part of this journey in the lives of these kids. That has never been more true than after nearly 2 years of covid limitations.

Every year I feel excitement and anxiety as kick-off approaches but this year I feel both of those to the extreme.

I'm excited to be heading into a 'real' build season with my students in person but anxious for all the normal reasons plus covid challenges.

I'll be sharing stories along the way! This is my 11th build season and each year is special.

As always, if you are looking for ways to get involved in your local STEM community don't hesitate to reach out! 💚 Also, shop at my online store (link in bio) where 10% of all profits benefit STEM education non-profits like the one I help start in 2014 and continue to help run and maintain today!

Cheers! 🥂

Wishing y'all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 🎄💚





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✨Cuteness Overload ✨
Thank you for these beautiful cookies 😍

If you are looking for delicious, beautiful and personal cookies, be sure to check out her shop! 🍪

We participated in a group cookie swap and mine did not turn out as pretty 😂 I'll just say it's a good thing I can do math 😳

Happy holidays y'all! 🎄

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