“Ini ndakanga ndisati ndamboona kana kuona kusaenzana kwevakadzi muzvikamu zveSTEM, saka kunyangwe ndaiziva kuti iripo, handina kumbobvira ndave nechikonzero chekutenda kuti ndaizozviona pachangu. Ndakanga ndisingazive uye handizive kuti ibasa ripi randaida kuita, saka handina kumbobvira ndatora mamwe makirasi eSTEM. Asi mugore rangu repamusoro, ndaida kuzvipikisa uye kuvhura zvimwe zvitsva zvingangoitika, saka ndakatora makosi matatu anetsa-AP Computer Science A, AP Physics C, uye multivariable calculus. Pazuva rekutanga rechikoro, kusawirirana kwevarume nevakadzi muhurongwa hwangu kwakanyatsojeka kupfuura zvandaimbotarisira. Ndini ndega musikana aiva mukuverenga kuverenga, uye pakutanga ndakagara ndega apo vakomana vakanga vakaungana pamwe chete kune rumwe rutivi rwekamuri. Mukirasi yangu yesainzi yekombuta, ndakaona kuti ndaiva mumwe wevasikana vaviri. Uye mukirasi yangu yefizikisi, mumwe wevatatu mukirasi yemakumi maviri neshanu. Ndingadai ndisina kumboparadzaniswa nevamwe vakadzi nevasikana muhupenyu hwangu. Mumwe mudzidzi mukirasi yangu yemasvomhu akati rimwe zuva, "waiziva here kuti ndiwe wega musikana?" Chokwadi ndaiziva. Hapana nzira yandaisagona. Asi panguva imwe cheteyo, ndinogona kutaura, mwedzi mumwe kuchikoro, kuti vakomana vari mumakirasi angu havana kumbondiita kuti ndinzwe “ndisinganzwisisike” nokuda kwechirume changu. Ndakazogara pedyo neshamwari dzangu dzechirume mumasvomhu mushure mekutanga kuchikoro, uye tinoshanda pamwe chete pazvinetso zvakaoma. Musainzi yekombuta, shamwari dzangu dzine ruzivo rwepamusoro pesainzi yekombuta dzinondibatsira kunzwisisa basa pasina kana kuzvininipisa. MuFizikisi, ndiri kutora chikamu muongororo yeLab uye vamwe vadzidzi vanondikumbira rubatsiro. Asi ndinenge ndichiri kunyepa kana ndichiti kusiyana hakuoneki. Ndichiziva kuti ndini ndega musikana mukirasi yangu yemasvomhu, ndinonzwa kuda kuenderera mberi nebasa, kushanda nesimba, kuita chero chinhu kuti ndive nechokwadi chekuti ndinomiririra murume wangu zvakanaka, dzimwe nguva ndisingazvizivi. Uye ini handigoni kuita asi kushamisika kuti nei paine kusaenzana kwakadaro. Chikoro chedu hachitadzisi vasikana kutora makirasi akadai - mudzidzisi wangu wechirume wetrigonometry uye calculus gore rechipiri akatopedza nguva achiedza kunyengerera vasikana vemukirasi medu kuti vatore kosi yesainzi yekombuta. Pane tarisiro yakadzika midzi yetsika uye stereotype, uye ndinofunga dzimwe nguva ndinogona kunge ndichienderera mberi nemafungiro iwayo nekuratidza izvo nzanga inondiudza. Mumazuva ekutanga echikoro, ndakazviona (pakushushikana kwangu kwazvino, pakufunga) ndichida kurevera kune vakomana vakandipoteredza - ndichifunga kuti vanoziva zvakawanda, ndichivarega vatore danho, ndichivaudza kuti ndaizoda rubatsiro rwavo-- pandakanga ndakaenzana kana ndisinga kwanisi mune dzimwe dzemisoro. Hapana munhu akambondiudza zvakajeka nezvemurume STEM nerd stereotype, asi pane imwe nzvimbo munzira yandakanga ndaita mukati, uye ndicho chinhu chandichada kurwisa mukati mangu. Asi ndine tariro kwandiri uye nenyika yedu. Vhiki yapera, pandakanga ndichibuda mukirasi yemasvomhu kuti nditaure pamusangano webhodhi redzidzo yenyika yedu, imwe yeshamwari dzangu yakandiudza kuti, “Tese tinodada newe—uchaita zvikuru!