Stark County students explore careers in STEM fields

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Stark County students explore careers in STEM fields

Girls from schools around Northeast Ohio enjoyed a special lesson in the value of STEM education this week in Rootstown.

The students gathered Dec. 9 at the New Center at Northeast Ohio Medical University, where they met women who are leaders in the STEM fields.

The event, organized by The American Heart Association, stressed the importance of innovations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The women also urged the young women to do their part to help improve statistics of women in STEM fields.

Women make up almost half of employment across non-STEM occupations but just over 29% of the STEM workforce.

A student at the American Heart Association Go Red for Women STEM Goes Red event takes part in a simulation Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, during the event at the New Center at Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown.

The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women’s

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involved about 220 girls from 28 schools, including students from Portage, Stark and Summit counties.

“I was extremely excited to once again chair this event being a female, STEM professional, and wanting to encourage and enrich the minds and dreams of young girls today,” said Dr. Christina Dascenzo, a pharmacist with Family Drug and Village Pharmacies. Dascenzo also is chair of Northeast Ohio STEM Goes Red and an American Heart Association board member.

“My favorite part of the day was the girls coming up to me at the end of the event and asking how they could get experience, now, today, at their age because they are not old enough to obtain jobs yet. To me, that means we successfully planted the seed and now we hope to watch that continue to grow.”

The statistics are daunting – of 100 female students working toward a bachelor’s degree, only three will work in a STEM job 10 years after graduation. Organizers of the Dec. 9 event have hopes for the seventh- and eighth-grade girls who attended the event.

A student at the American Heart Association Go Red for Women STEM Goes Red event tries out virtual reality goggles Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, during a vendor fair at Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown.

Local students came from Beacon Academy in Canton; BioMed Science Academy in Rootstown; Bolich Middle School in Cuyahoga Falls; Brown Middle School in Ravenna; Canfield Middle School; Copley-Fairlawn Middle School; East Middle School in Akron; Field Middle School in Mogadore; Jefferson PK-8 in Warren; Lake Middle School in Lake Township; Liberty Local Schools; Lincoln PK-8 in Warren; Marlington Middle School in Lexington Township; Massillon Junior High; Mathews High School in Vienna; McGuffey PK-8 in Warren; Mineral Ridge High School in Mahoning County; North Canton Middle School; Osnaberg Local Schools in East Canton; Rayen Early College Middle School in Youngstown; Roberts Middle School in Cuyahoga Falls; Rootstown Middle School; Sebring McKinley Jr./Sr. High School; South Range Middle School in Canfield; Southern Local Jr. High School in Salineville; Stanton Middle School in Kent; Wellsville High School in Columbiana County; and Willard PK-8 in Warren.

During the four-hour, hands-on program, the young women participated in lessons such as interacting with a cadaver heart in a laboratory lesson led by Dascenzo; a natural gas and oil energy education session with the Ohio Natural Energy Institute; and attended a vendor fair where they learned CPR and used virtual reality goggles.

To end the event, a panel discussion with Q&A included Dascenzo; Amy Reynault, Hill Barth and King, a financial services company; Megan Payich and Stephanie Gaffney, Youngstown Business Incubator; Laura Zavadil, MegaBarre; Cassie Hoyt, Keystone Perfusion Services; and Dr. Katherine Tromp, Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Also on hand during the event was Miss Ohio Stephanie Finoti, the 2024 Miss Ohio who also is a pre-med student. Finoti, from Columbus, attends University of Cincinnati.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review:

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