UPaige (yena), 16, ePennsylvania

“Ngingathanda ukukutshela indaba yami ye-STEM. Lapho ngisemncane, ngangihlale ngigcizelela ukuthi yini eyayingithakazelisa ngempela nokuthi imuphi umsebenzi engangifuna ukuwenza. Kimina, konke kwashintsha ihlobo ngaphambi konyaka wami omusha lapho ngihambele ikamu le-Artificial Intelligence elinikezwa i-Boys and Girls Club yaseWestern Pennsylvania. Ngangena ekamu ngingafuni lutho oluhlangene namarobhothi noma izinhlelo, kodwa ngangingazi ukuthi lelo kamu lizoba nomthelela kangakanani njengoba laliyimbangela yentshisekelo yami ejulile ku-STEM, ikakhulukazi ubuchwepheshe kanye nobunjiniyela. Ngokweqiniso angikaze ngibe nentshisekelo ku-STEM ikakhulukazi lapho ngisemncane ngoba engangifuna ukukwenza kwakuwukuba umlungisi wezinwele noma ngiphishekele omunye umsebenzi, kodwa imigomo yami yonke yokuphila yashintsha ngokushesha nje lapho ngingena ohlelweni lwe-Artificial Intelligence. Izithiyo kimina noma nini uma sekufike i-STEM bekuyizinselelo ezifika kimina ebengicabanga ukuthi angizilungiselele. Ngenkathi ngingena ohlotsheni lomsebenzi wamarobhothi nokuhlelwa kwezinhlelo, ngacabanga ukuthi ngangingakalungiselelwa noma ngingafaneleki ngokwanele kwezinye zezinselelo engangibhekene nazo, kodwa ngibonga kakhulu ngabafundisi abamangalisayo ababengiqondisa futhi bangisiza kukho konke. Bangazisa ukuthi ngiyakwazi ukwenza lokho engangicabanga ukuthi ngeke ngikwazi ukukwenza okwangikhuthaza kakhulu. Abeluleki bami abangisizile futhi bangikhuthaza ukuthi ngiphishekele i-STEM bangisize kakhulu futhi ngokweqiniso kube yisizathu sokuthi ngidlule kwizithiyo ebengizidinga ukuze ngidlule. Okubaluleke kakhulu engikufundile ku-STEM ukuthi kufanele ngehluleke ukuya phambili, okusho ukuthi noma ngabe ngiphambanisa ini, ngiyaqhubeka naphezu kwemizabalazo futhi uma ngiphikelela kunoma iyiphi inkinga kuhlale kunesixazululo. Umphumela ovuza kakhulu ngokubamba iqhaza ku-STEM ngamakhono ahambisana nendawo. Njengoba ngihileleke kakhulu ekuhleleni nasekusebenzeni amarobhothi manje, ekugcineni ngiyaqonda ukuthi ukuxazulula izinkinga nokubekezela okuza nemizabalazo kukhiqiza umphumela omuhle kakhulu. Ngijabule kakhulu ukuphishekela i-STEM enkulu nomsebenzi ngemuva kokuphothula esikoleni esiphakeme. Okuhlangenwe nakho engibe nakho kuze kube manje ekuqaleni kohambo lwami lwe-STEM kuye kwamangaza. Ngibambe iqhaza emisebenzini eminingana engangiyithanda ngokuphelele njengokwakha amarobhothi asebenza ngezandla, ukuhlela amarobhothi amancane nemidlalo, ukufunda mayelana nezingxenye ze-Artificial Intelligence, ukuthola ulwazi lwangempela lomhlaba, nokuningi. Ngiye ngabona ukuthi ngikutholile engikuthandayo ukukwenza futhi kuwumuzwa ongcono kunawo wonke. Ngiyabonga ngokulalela indaba yami ye-STEM!”