This week’s Wednesday’s Women in STEM series features Manasvini Kothari, a Bay Area high school student. She shares how she got interested in STEM through her school’s science fair competition and the many ways she is involved in STEM as a student.
When did you first become interested in STEM?
While I really started exploring STEM first in high school, I would have to give credit to an experience I had as a middle schooler that piqued my interest in STEM. From 2nd to 8th grade, my school would have a yearly (mandatory) science competition that would require us students to pick a research project and present our findings to a set of judges. I’ll admit that I was never too keen on these projects, but that mindset changed when I spontaneously decided to enter a regional science competition called Synopsys with my school friends. The atmosphere at the competition was electric. I was able to see hundreds and hundreds of students, many of them much older than me, present complex research projects. And for the most part, while I had no idea what any of them were talking about, it was fascinating for me to see how passionate these junior scientists were about their work. Their excitement was nothing short of contagious, and I would say it was my first real introduction to the captivating world of science.
Where do you go to school and what did you study?
I’m currently a Bay Area high school student interested in the field of biology and bioinformatics. One amazing experience I had recently was during an online summer course I took at the University of Chicago. During the course, which covered topics on computational biology, I got the honor to use and program with UChicago’s supercomputer. It was surreal to be working using such a powerful computing system while sitting at a computer thousands of miles away.
What is your current career and how do you use your interests in STEM on a day-to-day basis?
As a high schooler, I use my interests in STEM to explore different topics within the field. Recently, for example, I’ve taken up learning a new programming language through school. I also volunteer with an organization that churns out STEM podcasts every two weeks for people to tune in and listen to; I find that it’s a great way to get people informed and interested about STEM topics while also personally staying up-to-date with STEM developments.
What do you like most about your current job?
Currently I don’t have a job under my belt as I’m still a high school student. However, I will say throughout exploring STEM in school, I have found that the feeling one gets after solving a difficult coding problem or finally understanding an intricate biological process is incredibly rewarding.
What advice would you give to young girls who are interested in pursuing STEM activities or careers?
I would say just “fake it till you make it”. STEM is a very male-dominant field, and sometimes, it can be a little intimidating for us girls to pursue an interest we have in STEM. The best thing to do is to project confidence even when you don’t feel it; if you can do that, I assure you that soon enough, you’ll have convinced yourself that you have what it takes
STEM doesn’t have to be a linear process! There are so many competitions and events that allow for students to get creative with STEM. The process becomes so much more fun when you can do hands-on lab work, solve real-world problems, and collaborate with peers.