AAUW sends three local girls to ‘Tech Trek’

By Elizabeth Marie Hinchak

Three local incoming eighth grade girls have learned about career opportunities in science and math due to Rancho Bernardo organizations.

Rancho Bernardan Olivia Sparkman, Powegian Karli Gigstad and 4S Ranch resident Karlie Hayes attended Tech Trek at the University of California San Diego from June 22 to 28.

The girls were selected by the Rancho Bernardo chapter of American Association of University Women for the annual camp run at several university campuses throughout California for incoming eighth grade girls. The goal is to get them interested in pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees and careers before they start moving away from those subjects in high school due to peer pressure.

Pat Armstrong, RB AAUW Tech Trek coordinator, said it cost $900 to sponsor each girl and the club could not have sent three without financial assistance from the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary and Rancho Bernardo “Noon” Rotary clubs, which each sponsored a girl AAUW selected.

Teaching the girls about science and math opportunities were not the only goals, Armstrong said.

“We’re trying to build their science skills, but also their self-reliance ... and leadership skills,” she said. “We’re teaching them how to be leaders and not give in to peer pressure.”

Over the week, which included studying a core subject and taking field trips while living on campus for a week to get a flavor of college, the girls were introduced to women from various career fields who served as role models.

“They developed their confidence and excitement (for STEM fields),” Armstrong said.

Each middle school was asked to recommend three girls for the interview and application process. After speaking with the girls and reading recommendation letters from their science and math teachers, the chapter selected a girl plus alternate from each school.

RB AAUW has sponsored girls to attend Tech Trek since the program was started by AAUW in California in 1998, according to the chapter’s website.

Sparkman, a 13-year-old who attends Bernardo Heights Middle School in Rancho Bernardo, said she is interested in a marine biology or forensic science career. Her core class was marine biology, where her favorite activity was dissecting a shark, she said.

Other favorite experiences were the Sea Camp field trip to Mission Bay, where from a boat she helped capture fish and crabs.

“I really liked the animals in the water,” Sparkman said, adding her first time away from home was “fun” and she made “a whole bunch of friends from San Diego and far away.”

“I’ve always had an interest in science and math because my mom is an accountant and dad is a teacher,” said Karli Gigstad, a 12-year-old who attends Twin Peaks Middle School in Poway.

She said dissecting fish and a shark in the marine biology core class was “pretty cool,” even though in seventh grade she dissected a cow’s eye, sheep’s heart and a frog. “The fish was really weird because it was bloody and not preserved, so it was kind of gross.”

While she has touched sea creatures before, Gigstad said collecting fish and sand dollars from the ocean floor via a net was a first time experience.

“I think it’s really cool being away from home with cool kids who have the same interests as you,” she said.

Karlie Hayes, a 12-year-old who attends Oak Valley Middle School in 4S Ranch, said Tech Trek “exceeded my expectations.” She called it “an amazing learning experience, interesting and fun.”

In her anatomy core class she dissected a fetal pig, which Hayes said was “amazing and extremely fun to see the different organ systems ... are connected.”

Hayes also said she enjoyed living the life of a college student for a week and is considering a medical career.

“The only time I’ve touched fish was at the zoo or SeaWorld, so (doing so during Sea Camp) was much different and a very unique experience,” Hayes said.

If any individual or organization would like to donate toward sponsoring girls for next year’s Tech Trek, contact Armstrong at parmstr2.pa@gmail.com.

For more about Tech Trek, go to

https://ranchobernardo-ca.aauw.net

and click on “scholarships.”