Picking up rocks, or finding anything interesting and unusual was like a treasure hunt. A lot of messages about a daughter's ability to pursue science and math are relayed through her parents' behavior. A father who encourages his daughter to think about the outside world or lets her help build a computer or maintain a fish tank, is encouraging an interest in her abilities to do science. And, math is a crucial part of science. While women face challenges pursuing a degree or career in male-dominated fields, today they can also take advantage of their status as protected minorities when seeking employment.
Many companies are on the lookout to hire qualified women.
They want to diversify their workforces and are competing to attract women. In some cases, women are offered higher starting salaries than men with similar work experience. Ann Mattson MS'97, a geologist who quit her job with Shell Oil to pursue a doctorate and a future career in teaching, laments the absence of female mentors in natural resources recovery. I think being a female worked to my advantage in being hired, but it worked to my disadvantage in being promoted in a large corporation. But perseverance has a payoff.