Mini University Promotes Engagement in STEM

Yasmine Chang and Maggie Doolittle|February 8, 2021

The Society of Women Engineers at UC Berkeley is hosting a Mini University for high schoolers looking to gain experience and learn more. It will be held virtually from March 8 to March 10.

Science teacher Roxanna Jackman informed students about the opportunity to apply for Mini University because “these opportunities can help students discover their passion, and start to learn because they want to know, instead of just taking classes to get through high school.”

Jackman’s daughter attended a Mini University engineering camp during her junior year at Campolindo. “Now that she is graduated, and applying to work at a real job, not just an internship, I see the value of being part of an association, like the Society [of] Women Engineers,” said Jackman.

Jackman added that “having associations helps you bolster your profile, but more importantly, organizations like that provide great support and information for continuing education, connections which help you find connections in your field. These connections can be advisors or future employers.”

Senior Zachary Chang said, “I participated in an event like this, and I agree with Ms. Jackman that opportunities like these really helped in my education. I would really recommend anyone interested to try out stuff like this. It’s pretty fun.”

“I think it’s always important to work on diversity in the STEM field,” Chang said. “Mini University is a great opportunity for more women and minorities to get involved in science, and possibly lead to a more diverse workforce in STEM.”

Through the years, Jackman recalls students sharing their experiences with her, many of which attended camps/research opportunities like Mini University. “I’ve had students go to other states and participate in medical opportunities that allowed them to view real surgeries, which then inspired them to consider a future in medicine and sign up for my Human Anatomy & Physiology class.”

“This year, since many [courses like these] will probably be virtual instead of physical, there are probably more options than ever before,” Jackman added.