Young Girl, Big Dreams

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<<set $micha to 0>> <<set $nandini to 0>> <<set $larrabee to 0>> You are a young girl with big dreams. You like... <img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/31281748897_a87307d139_m.jpg" width="screen.width/3"> <img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/31281748327_781ebc7369_m.jpg" width="screen.width/3"> <img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/31281749587_8676b6ec7e_m.jpg" width="screen.width/3"> [[math]] [[games]] [[computers]]

<img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/31281748897_a87307d139_m.jpg" width="screen.width/2"> <<linkreplace "I came to this country as a second language English speaker.">> ...how people actually learn and understanding mathematics through [[different modalities such as looking at graphs, looking at pictures.|"You can't do that."]] <</linkreplace>> <<set $nandini to $nandini + 1>> <<audio nandini1 play>>

<img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4833/31281749587_8676b6ec7e_m.jpg" width="screen.width/2"> <<linkreplace "I wanted to solve the energy crisis...">> "...my fallback degree was engineering. I didn't want to be that girl who [[fulfilled everybody’s expectations|"You can't do that."]] by failing at physics."<</linkreplace>> <<set $larrabee to $larrabee + 1>> <<audio larrabee1 play>>

<img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/31281748327_781ebc7369_m.jpg" width="screen.width/2"> <<linkreplace "I always loved games...I also really loved art">> I went into computer science and worked as a software engineer for five years. [[And it was really boring and not what I wanted to do.|"You can't do that."]] <</linkreplace>> <<audio micha1 play>> <<set $micha to $micha + 1>>

You are told with increasing frequency as you progress in your education that ''your interests do not suit you,'' either by your peers, your family, or both. How do you react? [[Work even harder and prove them wrong!|hard work]] [[Maybe you should listen to them...|listen to them]] [[Do anything -- but don't show weakness|burn out]]

<img src="https://s2.gifyu.com/images/nandini2.gif" width="800px"> <<linkreplace "You have to prove yourself over and over and over again to get legitimacy.">> To come from that point of not being registered or not being legitimate to being indispensable is [[a long haul.|You look around...]] <</linkreplace>> <<audio nandini2 play>> <<set $nandini to $nandini + 1>>

<img src="https://s2.gifyu.com/images/micha1.gif" width="800px"> <<linkreplace "I had this dream of being an artist and my family was basically like no.">> I went back for grad school, then I was like [[I’m going to study art.|You look around...]] <</linkreplace>> <<audio micha2 play>> <<set $micha to $micha + 1>>

Your best ideas and thoughts are overlooked by your peers. You are not visible in the way that you wish to be, and ''you are not offered the same opportunities that your peers are.'' You find it especially challenging to ''balance society's expectation of you with your career.'' [[Be patient and relentless|family]] [[Pursue what you like -- unapologetically|teach]] [[Gain a new perspective|baby]]

<img src="https://s2.gifyu.com/images/nandini3.gif" width="800px"> <<linkreplace "Why can’t I find a job in chemistry like as if I’m a front desk runner.">> When I was a younger woman it was very difficult and very discouraging at times to [[keep doing what I did.|resolution]] <</linkreplace>> <<audio nandini4 play>> <<set $nandini to $nandini + 1>>

Exciting! It's your first day of class and you look around at the large lecture hall you're sitting in. ''You are almost entirely surrounded by men.'' Your professor walks in, and he is also a man. As the weeks pass, ''it is rare that you meet other women like you'' that you connect with or can use as a role model. You share some of your concerns with your male friends [["No one understands how I need to be taught."]] [["No one is talking about the REAL issues here."]] [["There aren't any female professors!"]]

<img src="https://s2.gifyu.com/images/larrabee2.gif" width="800px"> <<linkreplace "I never had a woman faculty member...">> why shouldn’t [[I be a professor?|hurdles]] <</linkreplace>> <<set $larrabee to $larrabee + 1>> <<audio larrabee3 play>>

<img src="https://s2.gifyu.com/images/nandini1.gif" width="800px"> <<linkreplace "It’s the feeling of being invisible">> As if I was involved instead of I was the leader or instead of saying you are engaged in this grant instead of being [[the author of this grant.|hurdles]] <</linkreplace>> <<set $nandini to $nandini + 1>> <<audio nandini3 play>>

<img src="https://s2.gifyu.com/images/larrabee1.gif" width="800px"> <<linkreplace "how long it would take me to flunk out...">> I hate to tell you this, but [[you’re never going to be important to anyone but your husband and your children|You look around...]] <</linkreplace>> <<set $larrabee to $larrabee + 1>> <<audio larrabee2 play>>

<img src="https://s2.gifyu.com/images/micha3.gif" width="800px"> <<linkreplace "That’s probably why my dad was encouraging me to be a scientist.">> People have said I should be doing science and I was like, [[“I just want to write poetry.”|resolution]] <</linkreplace>> <<audio micha4 play>> <<set $micha to $micha + 1>>

Somehow, despite it all, you made it. You accomplished your goals in the face of injustice, you proved that you are capable of anything. <<if $nandini gt $micha and $nandini gt $larrabee>> [[>>|nandini]] <<elseif $micha gt $nandini and $micha gt $larrabee>> [[>>|micha]] <<else>> [[>>|larrabee]] <</if>>

<img src="https://s2.gifyu.com/images/micha2.gif" width="800px"> <<linkreplace "Students then identify what I’m talking about as my personal problem instead of it being like a widespread social problem.">> [[It is still taboo to talk about race and gender in most computer science classes.|hurdles]] <</linkreplace>> <<audio micha3 play>> <<set $micha to $micha + 1>>

<img src="https://s2.gifyu.com/images/larrabee3.gif" width="800px"> <<linkreplace "Trying to integrate being a non-shitty parent and a non-shitty academic was probably the hardest part.">> ...maybe they’ve had one shower in the last seven days because babies are exhausting, I mean [[they’re really exhausting.|resolution]] <</linkreplace>> <<set $larrabee to $larrabee + 1>> <<audio larrabee4 play>>

<<cacheaudio "larrabee1" "audio/larrabee1.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "larrabee2" "audio/larrabee2.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "larrabee3" "audio/larrabee3.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "larrabee4" "audio/larrabee4.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "micha1" "audio/micha1.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "micha2" "audio/micha2.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "micha3" "audio/micha3.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "micha4" "audio/micha4.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "nandini1" "audio/nandini1.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "nandini2" "audio/nandini2.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "nandini3" "audio/nandini3.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "nandini4" "audio/nandini4.mp3">>

<<if $nandini gt $micha and $nandini gt $larrabee>> <iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F2wcybVlIRaPNW-ExDV33q_nfdclEpsu/preview" width="640" height="480"></iframe> <iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qxhb1yuPKC45vpYWJguW4y2H6SRQuZHp/preview" width="640" height="400"></iframe> <<elseif $micha gt $nandini and $micha gt $larrabee>> <iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MVfNGkJg6u4pFJ4uiQBFzyv-c7Y3_ZkL/preview" width="640" height="480"></iframe> <iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qxhb1yuPKC45vpYWJguW4y2H6SRQuZHp/preview" width="640" height="400"></iframe> <<else>> <iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MVfNGkJg6u4pFJ4uiQBFzyv-c7Y3_ZkL/preview" width="640" height="480"></iframe> <iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F2wcybVlIRaPNW-ExDV33q_nfdclEpsu/preview" width="640" height="480"></iframe> <</if>> ''Special thanks to'' Nandini Bhattacharya, Micha Cardenas, & Tracy Larrabee...//Inspiration// Holly Cheng...//Artist// Namratha Prithviraj...//Editor// Sophia Santos...//Producer// [[Now discover another woman's journey to succcess.|It's a girl!]]