♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Hello and welcome to Carolina Classrooms.

I'm your host Angel Malone, Director of Career and Technical Education for the South Carolina Department of Education.

This episode is about all things women, and their employment and under represented fields.

Nationally, the most recent census data tells us that women comprise approximately 27% of the workforce in STEM occupations.

In other fields, especially those like automotive and welding, the percentages are even smaller.

Why is that?

And what can we do to increase the number of females entering career paths where they're typically under represented?

We can start by sharing the stories of females that are modeling the way as leaders in their respective careers, most times as some of the only females in the room or on the work floor.

Let's meet our powerhouse panel joining us in the studio.

First is Ainsley Schmidhausler, a senior majoring in International Business and Economics at the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business and Honors College.

She is also an Innovation Intern at the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

Olivia Warner is a senior at Laurens District 55 High School.

She is a 3rd year Automotive Technology student and plans to enroll in the automotive program at Greenville Technical College when she graduates.

Gabrielle Gibson is in her second year at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College majoring in Electrical Engineering Technology.

And Morgan Nichols is the reigning Miss South Carolina and the Investor Relations Coordinator for SC Bio.

Thank you all for joining us!

We are excited to hear about your experiences today.

Let's jump right into our questions.

First, I'd like for you to share a little bit more with our viewers about yourselves and the career paths that you've chosen.

Ainsley, I'll ask you to go first.

Tell me what prompted you to choose this respective career path?

<Ainsley> Absolutely, so when looking at career paths and especially majors, I had a previous - I was really good at math in school, and so I was kinda trying to figure out what to do with that, and I took some trips in high school that really opened my eyes to the world, and so when I was looking at all these majors and programs of study, I decided on International Business, and so that landed me here in South Carolina at the University of South Carolina, and I've absolutely loved my course work.

I feel like I get to travel the world every single time I step into the classroom, and especially just developing my business skills with my Economics double major.

I feel like I really get a good grip of what the world looks like and how it works, and just kind of where I get to make a difference, especially as a woman in business.

<Angel> That is awesome, and it's great to hear that perspective as a student now at a four year institution, and being able to travel the world to have that world view and that world perspective as it relates to making sure that we're globally competitive.

So thank you.

And Morgan, what about you as the reigning Miss South Carolina wearing two different hats at the same time, that crown and then also being an Investor Relations Coordinator for SC Bio.

<Morgan> So being in high school right here in the Midlands, I definitely felt a lot of pressure to figure out what I wanted to do at a young age, and as women I think we're all so multi-faceted, that we can kind of take that pressure and correlate with our many passions and feel that immense need to declare what we're going to do right when we're in high school.

But for me, it was so, I guess, reassuring to find a career that really aligned with all of my passions.

So I ended up at Clemson University, majoring in Genetics where I fell in love with the science and technology, and the life sciences, but I also enjoyed business.

I enjoyed talking with people and building relationships, and so it was so wonderful for me to be led it to SC Bio as Investor Relations, where I get to work with so many wonderful biotechnology and genetics and medical companies that are really giving back to South Carolina, all while working on my relationship skills - my business skills.

That's something that I am really passionate about, is letting young women know that they can follow their passions even if they are very different.

And as Miss South Carolina, it's been so wonderful sharing that story that women can go into science.

I have a personal initiative called stronger with STEM furthering STEM education in South Carolina for women, so it's been wonderful to wear that crown, wear my science coat, and share with young students across the state, that they can go into science and they can follow their passions.

<Angel> Wonderful!

And I'll tell you as a Biology and Chemistry major, many young women need to hear that story that it is possible, so thank you.

And Olivia, a high school student, still making your mark and doing well in automotives, making a 100% passage rate on your All-Star exam, the only young lady to do that.

Tell us how did you get into this career path and decide this was for you?

<Olivia> It kind of started off when I was a little bit younger.

I saw my dad always working on stuff, and I just thought oh my god, I want to do that.

I know it's different since it's kinda a man's field, but it's something that I really enjoy, and it's one of those things you can't really get bored with it.

It'll always give you something to do.

I'm not the type who can just sit still.

<Angel> That is wonderful!

Look, in STEM, in automotive, and any of those fields, there's always things that are changing right with the times.

Okay?

So, Gabby, bringing it to you.

And you're a student at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in Electrical Engineering.

What made you want to go into that field?

<Gabby> Yes, so ever since I was younger, kinda like what she was saying, I would love to take things apart.

I would take apart my parents' household appliances and just try to figure out how to put everything back together.

So when looking at different majors, Electronic Engineering was perfect because you get to learn how everything works, so that was a great experience.

<Angel> Wow, wow, wow!

That is amazing, amazing!

This is the vault.

I'm gonna ask the 'girls' question.

How is it amongst being in the room where you may be the only female, or the only African American female, or the only queen in the room?

How are you received by your male peers and other colleagues?

Anyone can jump in.

<Morgan> Well, I'll start off.

I frequently join a meeting, or these days a virtual meeting, where I'm the only female under the age of 40, and I'm in a room with men who are middle aged white men who, I think what it comes down to is it's a stereotype.

And I never see it as a barrier.

I see it as a challenge, and that challenge motivates me even more to come into those meetings, or come into the workplace, or wherever I'm headed, and to defy those stereotypes.

It motivates me, and that's what I think, and the message that I want to send young females, is let it motivate you.

Study hard, work hard, and prove them wrong.

You're not only doing that for yourself to disprove that stereotype, you're doing it for everyone that's going to come after you, as we continue to kind of break those barriers down.

I think that's even more relevant in something like electrical engineering, so I'm very interested to hear your perspective as well.

<Gabrielle> Well for me, I am the only female in all of my classes, and it is challenging but it's reassuring.

The boys don't give me a hard time about anything.

If anything, they look to me because they say women have a keen sense of - they pay more attention to detail, so they always think I know everything.

[laughter] <Angel> That's a good place to be in the room.

That's wonderful, wonderful to hear.

Anyone else want to share their stories?

<Ainsley> I think that in terms of like, I'm still in college and especially in the Business School, and the course work I'm taking, there's a lot of group projects, which is really exciting and it's really great to work with your peers, butI find that sometimes there is a tendency, especially in male dominated majors such as Economics, that there is a tendency for males to speak over women, and so I find myself sometimes being afraid to kind of speak up my ideas, or maybe we already have an idea on the table, and I see a small issue with it, but I just think that maybe it's going to be okay.

And so sometimes I just want wanna look back, especially at my freshman and sophomore self, and in those group situations and say like you study just as much, you read that text book, you have great ideas too.

I think that that's a way that even if it's unconscious from our classmates, that women can kind of take back their voice, and say the things that they want to say, and create an open dialogue, and kind of make themselves available to like give their ideas, especially in that classroom setting.

<Angel> Yeah, yeah.

I think that resonates with me, I think with all of us what I hear about maintaining and keeping your voice.

Right?

So we're gonna come back to that.

I love that.

We're gonna talk about that.

And Olivia, I just wanna ask you, how are you able to stay in the room?

It's one thing to get into the room.

Right?

And you're there with all the other guys.

How did you get the courage to stay there and finish the program?

<Olivia> Well, in high school, you kind of have to learn to speak up for yourself, and I kind of just - that's something that I personally wanted to do, and I wasn't gonna let anybody stop me from that.

<Angel> Good deal, good deal, so let's talk about that female voice.

Sometimes the volume can be turned up and you're not able to hear what you all think.

What would you tell your younger self?

Now looking back and you've gone through certain things, and you're still on your path, what would you tell your younger self or that young lady that's looking at you.

What's the advice you'd give to her?

<Morgan> I always seek first to listen, and then to speak, and so really listening to others is also a way that I felt like I have established those connections, because I do feel like someone will come from an understanding place when they do have that connection towards me.

But one thing that I would tell my younger self, and I think about this very often, is to take opportunities.

And you can see all these women up here today have taken an opportunity that one, they might not have felt like they should have.

They might not have felt like it was necessarily the stereotypical way, but they had a passion that was burning inside of them to seize that opportunity.

And for me those opportunities have - you know, some have come and I haven't seized them, and the ones that I have had ultimately led me to figuring out more about me.

So, for example, I was offered an internship at a large pharmaceutical company, and that's where I found my love for science.

So really telling my younger self, and telling women in the workplace, telling women in college or in high school to take opportunities that come your way, even though you feel like it might not be the correct or stereotypical thing to do.

If that passion is inside you, do it, because that's how you're going to maintain your authentic self, meet other people, and ultimately make a difference in the world.

<Angel> What advice would you give to school counselors or administrators?

Because we have some of them watching, right?

A captive audience here, or to parents?

What advice would you give to them to help their young girls figure out what they want to do moving forward?

<Gabrielle> Some advice that I would give to parents, teachers, counselors, let your children explore different options.

Not every female wants to be a teacher or a nurse or anything like that, so you have to let them see what they like for themselves.

When they're in high school, you can open them up to different STEM classes like automotive, welding, carpentry, anything, you know.

Just let them get that hands on feeling.

<Angel> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I like that.

<Morgan> I think I would just emphasize the importance of that hands on experience, those face to face conversations with other female mentors, and through those experiences you really get associated to people who can truly make an impact.

So I would tell all of our academic professionals, don't underestimate the power of internships, and the power of guest lectures.

I remember the first time that I heard someone speak that, just simply came into my class and speak about going into the pharmaceutical industry, and that right there is really what sparked my love for science.

And then when I did go and intern, I interned for a company that had all female leadership, and the CEO was a female, and about half of the C-suite in that business were females.

At the time, I didn't really realize the impact that had on me, but looking back five years later, I can tell you that I would not be the woman today if it wasn't for those women that I saw in that real world experience - running a business, doing science, - and the impact they had on me.

I didn't even really get to necessarily talk to each one of them, but just seeing them in that real world environment is very powerful.

So that's what I would really encourage teachers to continue.

Yes, the knowledge - students need to learn, but they also need to experience.

I think that's a really big word for our upcoming generation, is allow them to experience, because you get connections, you gain mentors, and you also figure out your passions.

<Angel> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

<Ainsley> I think, really quickly, going off what Gabby said about exploring your passions and giving them that opportunity, I think on the other side of that, parents and counselors and academics need to give women, especially, the space to use their voice and just to listen to kind of how those experiences are impacting them.

Sometimes you don't really realize, like Morgan said, in the moment what it's doing to us, but kind of opening up those conversations and being like well how do you like these classes?

or well, what are you interested in ?

or do you like this sport that you're doing or would you rather do dance?

I think that just opening those conversations, that's what women especially need, is kind of a little bit of prompting, and then just to give us space to express ourselves, and I think that that is the most valuable opportunity you can give somebody.

<Angel> Yes, absolutely, absolutely.

<Morgan> I can jump off what she said.

You know, when I was in high school, which was a long time ago, I just remember going into my guidance counselor's room and there was tracks.

You either went the medical track, you went the business track, you went, you know, to be a teacher or a journalism track, and like I said the beginning, I think women are much more malleable and multi-faceted than these tracks can provide.

So yes, I think you need a baseline, but our guidance counselors and our teachers need to help them understand that you can also branch, and you can form your passions into your own career track, because if I would have known that then, I think I would have felt more liberated to experience all of my passions you know, not just one, and know that there was a career that fit perfectly for me, because I do think there can be some pressure with okay, I got to pick a track and I got to stay that way when in actuality you don't.

<Angel> Tell me who that person is for you that's influenced your life.

<Ainsley> I think that one of my biggest mentors was actually one of my small group leaders in high school.

Her name is Emery and she is awesome.

She kind of did it all.

She showed us what it meant to start your own business, be a strong independent woman.

I think as a high schooler, that was very formative for me to understand that she was using her passion for graphic design to create her own design company, and now she has multiple employees under her, and like all of these things are just so impressive, and I think even way back when we were in high school, she maybe didn't even see where that Etsy shop was going to go, but it's just been a crazy journey for her, and I think for me as well just to kind of alongside her grow up.

So she was in her early twenties.

I was early teens.

We kind of grew up together, and it was really really exciting to hear somebody just kind of voice those fears that we had.

She was somebody that we can ask any question to, and so that was extremely important for me to have as a role model when I was growing up, and I think I still look to her for advice today.

<Angel> Awesome, awesome.

Glad for that.

And Olivia, what about you?

<Olivia> My person would probably have to be my auto tech teacher because when I first did get into the class, it was very very nerve wracking, but he sat me down and told me, you know, I got this, and we just went on from there.

He's been a great help in my life.

<Angel> Wonderful to hear.

Your automotive teacher, that's amazing!

What about you, Gabby?

<Gabrielle> I would have to say one of my first year instructors at OC Tech, Dr. Jackson.

She is another female that took the Engineering route, so there were a lot of times when I wanted to give up my first year, and she would not let me.

She kept pushing me and she kept telling me like You can do this.

There's nothing that can stop you from being the Engineer that you want to be.

<Angel> Amazing!

We'll round it out with you.

<Morgan> I have really been so blessed just to have so many different mentors in my life, and so many wonderful - and I will say South Carolina is leading the charge with females in STEM, and it has been just wonderful and fantastic for me to see those women just kind of leading the way in my career, and the first person that comes to mind, of course, would be that CEO of the pharmaceutical company that I was talking about earlier.

Her name is Lou Kennedy, and I interned there and got really close with her, and she was the first woman that I saw in science that wasn't a nurse or a doctor, and so it was really cool to diversify my career outlook, to see that, and to see women in that field really leading the charge with that company, but also giving and pouring so much back into her community, and truly making an impact.

It definitely had a huge impact on me, and I wouldn't be the same person if it wasn't for her guidance and her motivation along the way.

But I think a piece of advice I was told one time, is to kind of have your own personal Board of Directors.

In each Board of Directors, kind of have a different mentor for your life.

So, of course, have your professional mentors, have your, you know, faith based mentors, have your family based mentors.

You have so many females who proved to me that, yes, women can do it all.

They're moms, they're professionals, they're, you know, friends, they're daughters, and so it's that seeing, you know, all of these women and how they navigate the issues that come with women every single day has made a huge impact on me.

So I just say all of that to say that the mentors in my life have just truly been monumental, and they continue to be.

<Angel> Awesome, awesome, and I love to hear that.

But I want to thank you, because this has been amazing, and I think we're going to end this by talking about what girl power is.

So in one word, tell me what that means to you - girl power.

Gabby, we'll start with you.

<Gabrielle> Girl power to me means empowerment.

<Angel> Empowerment, yes.

Olivia?

<Olivia> Um, bravery.

<Angel> Bravery, I love it, love it, love it.

Morgan?

<Morgan> It's a word we've said a lot up here and that's passion.

<Angel> Passion, love it, love it.

And we'll round it out with you, Ainsley.

<Ainsley> I was gonna say strength.

<Angel> Strength, so you've heard it here.

Passion, empowerment, bravery, and strength.

All of these things are what girl power embodies and what it is, and that any young lady, whether they're just being born and coming into the world, or you're at the sunset of your life, you can continue to make changes.

Thank you so much for being here.

This has been such an insightful and inspirational conversation.

Thank you again to our guests: Ainsley, Olivia, Gabrielle, and Morgan.

We appreciate each of you for being with us, and for sharing your personal experiences.

We hope that the information you've shared will empower our viewers, and hopefully lead to other females following your path.

Thank you, also to you, our viewers, for joining us.

You are invited to access this program online at Carolina Classrooms dot org.

There we will continue the conversation and dive into questions we didn't get to unpack in this episode.

We also invite you to visit Know It All dot org for more career related video resources, interviews, and interactives.

For South Carolina ETV and SCETV Education, I'm Angel Malone.

♪ (upbeat music) ♪ For me personally, when I knew that I wanted to go into the STEM industry, I had a very narrowed outlook at what I wanted to do.

I figured I could either be a clinician or work in a lab.

That's kind of the only thing that I had in mind, but I would give anyone who's looking to go into STEM to research all of the career opportunities that are out there, especially in the state of South Carolina and learn about those career opportunities, find what skills are needed in those career opportunities, and ultimately go into your career ready to make an impact because STEM changes the world as we know it.

Genetics actually pulled me to Clemson University because it is the most reduced form of biology that one can imagine.

It's increasing its influence on healthcare and so much innovation, so much research and development is currently happening in the genetic space, and I wanted to be a part of it.

Some of the courses that I was fortunate enough to take as a Genetics major at Clemson was, of course, your typical biology and your typical chemistry.

But I also got to take some very specific courses, such as human genetics, as well as population genetics, as well as do some research in the lab where I got to work with a genetic engineering technology called CRISPR, that's currently in clinical trials.

The life science industry is truly a multi-faceted.

So many different segments, but a few segments are is the medical device segment, which is where we create pacemakers that might go in your heart or a hip replacement that might go in your hip.

There's also the pharmaceutical segment where you are creating medicine such as Advil and Tylenol, those medicines that you might have taken this morning, all the way to the digital health side which includes telemedicine.

Originally I was dead set on attending a medical school.

As someone who really loved science, that was the only way that I figured my skills could be useful in my career.

But working in Nephron I was able to see so many careers that are available in the life sciences, from the quality side, to the manufacturing side, to the research and development side.

It truly opened my eyes to the diverse careers at Nephron and in this industry.

Working in the lab was an experience like no other.

You definitely have to make sure you are sterile, but working in the lab is so integral into making medicine that goes in people's bodies.

So I really felt like I was making an impact.

So South Carolina Bio is this state's economic development non-profit association for the life science industry of South Carolina.

South Carolina Bio's mission is to grow, innovate, advance the life science industry in South Carolina.

We have a variety of subsets of our organization, but two main focuses are workforce development, as well as industry advocacy and policy.

So no day is the same in my job out at SC Bio.

I am their Investor Relations Coordinator.

So I travel all around the state of South Carolina meeting with some amazing, world changing, innovative companies that are truly making an impact on our state.

But no day is ever the same.

I travel a lot meeting with different companies and ultimately help these companies to grow, help their research to grow, help their revenue to grow, to impact the state's economy, but also our quality of life.

My favorite thing about my job is I get to meet so many wonderful people and also get to see these amazing scientific discoveries that are happening right here in South Carolina.

We've come a long way in advancing South Carolina's life science industry, but we also have a really long way to go.

South Carolina isn't as well known for the life sciences industry.

So just getting the story out there that yes, South Carolina does have a pharmaceutical.

We do have a medical device industry in our state has been challenging, but it also presents an obstacle that I'm motivated to overcome.

[children in unison] Science is Cool!