Organization promotes female students with science and technology fields
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Alicia Torres remembers being called in to the principal’s office.
“I was nervous because I knew I had not done anything wrong,” said the high school senior. Looking around, she noticed that most of the girls who had been called were in her classes, too.
When she met with the principal and counselor, they asked if she was interested in joining Power Set, she said.
Power Set stands for powerful opportunities for women eager and ready for science, engineering and technology.
The program provides young women necessary tools to further their education and professional opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematical fields.
“I was very interested when they first approached me for this program,” said Stephanie Garcia, high school math teacher and sponsor of the group.
The program consists of all females and guide them as a group and individual basis, she added.
“This is something that we’ve never had before, so I really wanted to get involved in it,” she said.
Having an all-female group takes the pressure off of them in a way, she said.
“This benefits them because they are a group of girls and they are all peers,” she added.
They all have the aptitude to do it and not all of the girls see that they can pursue this type of field, Garcia said.
“This opens their mind to the idea that they can do anything they want,” she said.
White pearls are their official charm and they wear them as part of their official attire.
The program is sponsored by the Nuclear Power Institute at Texas A&M University in cooperation with Palacios High School, South Texas Nuclear Operating Co. and the Workforce Commission.
Nineteen students are in the academic program and meet once a month.
“We try to give them professional advice, help them in the interview process, how to dress professionally and answer questions in an interview” she said.
A lot of students go through high school without once sitting down for an interview, she said.
“We meet with the girls once a month and have lunch with them at the school,” said Kathleen Van Dalen, health physicist and head of the mentoring program at STP.
Dalen, along with other STP employees, is part of the Women in Nuclear organization and provides one-on-one mentoring to the girls of Power Set. An STP female professional is matched up with each girl in the group.
The goal of student mentoring is to help students gain the skills and confidence to take control of their lives and be responsible for their own, said Dalen.
Mentors will work closely with students who wish to enter science, technology, engineering and math educational programs and help with planning, guidance, and encouragement.
To apply to the organization, the student must be enrolled in at least two advanced placement classes or dual credit classes, have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and a commended score on the math or science TAKS. The student also needs to be a sophomore, junior or senior in high school.
Students also need to submit an application, an essay and go through an interview with the advisory board, which consists of two faculty members and three employees from STP.
After they are selected, students go through an induction ceremony at the beginning of the year to welcome them to the group.
Throughout the school year, members visit local industries, get tours of colleges and listen to guest speakers.
Future Power Set organizations are planned for Bay City, Van Vleck and Louise.
“This is opening their mind to the possibility that they might end up in a field they never thought they were interested in,” said Garcia.
“If we get one or two students interested in a field, then the program has been a success.”