A quick note to all the young people out there passionate about the world, whom are curious, whom might be interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math:

I want to talk about something that has been on my mind for the past few weeks.

A friend recently reached out to see if I would connect with an amazing young woman pursuing a love for space and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). I opened up Instagram to learn more, and found inspiring post after inspiring post. A passion shines through and you immediately know that this girl is going to change the world. She posts about her exciting adventures, the value of science, unity, hope, perseverance, and resilience.

And then I came to one of her more recent posts, authored by her mother. Her mother had taken over the account because the internet was no longer safe. No longer safe for a young and bright shining star who wants to inspire others to dream big and to believe in possibilities. And this really ticks me off!

As a woman working in STEM, I fight battles every day. And these battles are orders of magnitude harder for POC, people with disabilities etc. But young people should not have to fight these battles or be bullied for being who they are. I just want this young woman (and everyone else pursuing their dreams) to know that I believe in you. That everyone in the STEM community believes in you. Because that is what we are, a community of dreamers. And we know that we are stronger together, helping each other, and lifting each other up.

So please, please keep dreaming big. Please keep dreaming! The world needs young people with different perspectives to work on problems we know are hard and solve some of the most pressing issues of our time.