“Angikaze ngibone noma ngibone ukungafani kobulili emikhakheni ye-STEM ngaphambili, ngakho-ke yize ngangazi ukuthi ikhona, angikaze ngibe nesizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi ngizozibonela mathupha. Angazi futhi angazi ukuthi yimuphi umsebenzi engingathanda ukuwulandela, ngakho-ke angikaze ngithathe amakilasi e-STEM engeziwe. Kodwa ngonyaka wami omkhulu, ngangifuna ukuzibekela inselelo futhi ngivule amathuba amasha, ngakho ngathatha izifundo ezintathu eziyinselele--AP Computer Science A, AP Physics C, kanye nokubala okuhlukahlukene. Ngosuku lokuqala lwesikole, ukungafani kobulili ohlelweni lwami kwagqama kakhulu kunalokho engangingakulindela. Kwakuyimina ngedwa intombazane ekubaleni, futhi ekuqaleni ngangihlala ngedwa kuyilapho abafana begxile ndawonye ngakolunye uhlangothi lwegumbi. Ekilasini lami lesayensi yekhompyutha, ngathola ukuthi ngangingomunye wamantombazane amabili. Futhi ekilasini lami le-physics, munye kwabathathu ekilasini lamashumi amabili nanhlanu. Ngangingakaze ngihlukaniswe kanje nabanye besifazane namantombazane empilweni yami. Omunye umfundi ekilasini lami lezibalo wababaza ngolunye usuku, "bewazi ukuthi nguwe wedwa intombazane?" Yebo ngangazi. Yayingekho indlela engangingakwazi ngayo. Kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo, ngingasho, inyanga yonke esikoleni, ukuthi abafana emakilasini ami abakaze bangenze ngizizwe "ngabanye" ngenxa yobulili bami. Ngagcina ngihlezi eduze kwabangane bami besilisa ezibalweni ngemva kokuqala kwesikole, futhi sisebenza ndawonye ezinkingeni eziyinselele. Kusayensi yekhompyutha, abangani bami abanolwazi oluthuthuke kakhulu lwesayensi yekhompiyutha bangisiza ngiqonde umsebenzi ngaphandle kokuzithoba nokuncane. Ku-Physics, ngibamba iqhaza elisebenzayo ekuhlaziyweni kwelebhu futhi abanye abafundi bangicela usizo. Kodwa ngabe ngisaqamba amanga uma ngithi umehluko awubonakali. Ngokwazi ukuthi yimi ngedwa intombazane ekilasini lami lezibalo, ngizwa isidingo sokuqhubekela phambili emisebenzini, ngisebenze ngokuzikhandla, ngenze noma yini ukuze ngiqinisekise ukuthi ngimela ubulili bami kahle, ngezinye izikhathi ngaphandle kokuqaphela. Futhi angikwazi ukuzibamba kodwa ngiyazibuza ukuthi kungani kunomehluko ongaka. Isikole sethu asiwavimbeli amantombazane ekuthatheni amakilasi anjalo--unyaka wami wesibili kathisha we-trigonometry kanye ne-calculus uze wachitha isikhathi ezama ukukholisa amantombazane ekilasini lethu ukuthi enze izifundo zesayensi yekhompyutha. Kukhona ukulindela okugxilile kwamasiko kanye nenkolelo-mbono, futhi ngicabanga ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi ngingahle ngiqhubekisele phambili lezo mibono ngokuveza lokho umphakathi ongitshela kona. Ezinsukwini zokuqala zesikole, ngazibona (ekucindezelekeni kwami ​​kwamanje, lapho ngizindla) ngivame ukuyekelela kubafana abaseduze kwami-ngicabanga ukuthi bazi okwengeziwe, ngibavumela ukuthi bathathe isinyathelo, ngibatshele ukuthi ngizodinga usizo lwabo kamuva-- lapho ngangifaneleka ngokulinganayo kwezinye zezihloko. Akekho owake wangitshela ngokucacile mayelana ne-STEM nerd stereotype yesilisa, kodwa endaweni ethile endleleni engangiyifake ngayo ngaphakathi, futhi lokho kuyinto engizodinga ukulwa nayo ngaphakathi kimi. Kodwa nginethemba lami kanye nomhlaba wethu. Ngesonto eledlule, njengoba ngiphuma ekilasini lezibalo ngiyokhuluma emhlanganweni webhodi lezemfundo lesifunda sethu, omunye wabangane bami wangitshela, "Sonke siyaziqhenya ngawe-uzokwenza okuhle!"