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Kandice Whalen

Girlstart’s Women in STEM weekly series highlights various women who are making a difference in STEM. Be inspired as these incredible women describe how they became interested in their field, provide insight into a day in the life, and share learnings from their experiences.

Kandice Whalen
Quality Engineer @ MilliporeSigma

Kandice is getting involved with Girlstart after joining a company wide effort to engage girls in STEM. We are so thrilled to have her on the blog today speaking about her unique journey into her STEM career!

What exactly does a Quality Engineer do, and what are some of your favorite aspects of your job?
I work with a team from engineering, production & quality to ensure that our products are safe for customers. I try to balance the demands of production while maintaining quality and the customer in mind. I love working with my team to solve problems together. My team is like a family, and that makes work seem like a breeze. I enjoy the high stress & pressure of my job and I feel like at the end of the day I am making a difference. I think the challenging environment keeps me interested and engaged.

Reflecting on your own career path, do you have any words of encouragement for girls who are interested in going into STEM?
Do it! If you’re interested in something, go for it. If you have a curiosity about something, look it up, find out about it. Don’t be afraid to speak up, to reach out. Don’t let others get in your way or make you feel like your opinion does not matter because you are a girl. And most importantly don’t doubt yourself. My life really began when I stopped doubting myself and listened to my gut.

Was there any specific influence in your life that pushed you towards a STEM career?
I had no direction or major when I started college, then I took a microbiology course and I was hooked. I fell in love with microbiology and I knew I wanted to have a career in science. But if I am being honest, it started way before then. I was always very curious and I loved science ever since I was a kid. I used to watch Mr. Wizard on PBS and walk to the library in town to get books on chemistry experiments for kids. I’d make my babysitter do them with me when my parents were out because it was often messy.

Why is confidence in STEM important for girls?
I think it is important for girls to know they have a place in STEM and they can make a difference. I think it is vital that girls, especially in times of social media, understand that a passion for education and a curious mind are enviable traits. It’s empowering to know that I steer my own ship personally, professionally and financially. At the end of the day it makes me feel good inside, gives me confidence and purpose and I feel this way through STEM; and I think that’s an important message to share. I think for me too, my personal journey needed confidence to begin. I did not have a traditional path to being a scientist. It took me 6 years to graduate from a 2-year college, with terrible grades. I bartended and was a housekeeper at a hospital. I was on food stamps. I did not see myself as a career professional and I was sure no one else saw me that way either. After 6 years of underestimating myself I applied to a BS program. I fell in love with science again! I got a 3.8 GPA and I felt amazing; I then went on to apply to a grad school I thought was way out of my league, but my confidence was boosted from my BS degree. I got in! I’m about to graduate from my dream grad school with the same GPA. That confidence spilled over to work, and I just got promoted again. Trust me. Confidence is EVERYTHING.

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Janine K. Iannarelli

Girlstart’s Women in STEM weekly series highlights various women who are making a difference in STEM. Be inspired as these incredible women describe how they became interested in their field, provide insight into a day in the life, and share learnings from their experiences.

Janine K. Iannarelli
Founder & President @ Par Avion Ltd.

Janine got involved with Girlstart in an effort to give back, the same way that adults did for her when she was growing up. She loves to see the “ah-hah” moment on the girls’ face when something clicks, and that is why she is sharing some inspiration with our audience today.

What are your favorite things about your career?
The people, travel and the planes of course! I consider myself a people person and my career provides me with the opportunity to travel the world and meet people from all different countries and cultures. Some of the time I actually get to do it in the planes that I am selling. Among the tasks I regularly have to complete, I enjoy reviewing the technical history of the airplane and then compiling the specifications that ultimately are relied upon by prospective buyers when making their purchasing decision. I view time spent at the maintenance and repair facilities are great learning opportunities as to the how’s and why’s certain inspections impact the future operation of the aircraft.

Can you describe a little bit of what Par Avion Ltd. Does, and what your role is?
My company, Par Avion Ltd. is an international aircraft marketing firm that specializes in the sale of business aircraft with an emphasis on pre-owned business jets valued upwards of $70,000,000. My role is primarily to serve as a sales person of these highly technical, capital intensive assets, but as the President, I also attend to all the administrative duties associated with running a business. Today’s aircraft sales person must employ a multitude of skills and effectively serve as the project manager providing oversight of a sales transaction. Key services that Par Avion Ltd. offers include exclusive representation, acquisition on demand, and the oversight of an aircraft sales transaction. 

Do you have any advice for girls who want to pursue a STEM career?
Be fearless even when you are afraid! Fundamentally, believing in you can accomplish the task and rise to the challenge is your key to thriving in any profession. Additionally, paying attention to detail is a quality that will be admired no matter what job you do. Practice active listening…hearing and listening are two different things, with the latter a harder skill to develop. 

Why is confidence in STEM important for girls?
Girls develop a strong sense of self when they can achieve something that is difficult or otherwise perceived as such. If a young girl can master early on the fundamentals of math and science and build upon their accomplishments, the sky is the limit as to where they can go. There builds a hunger to learn more and reach out for challenges, rather than avoid them. STEM confidence builds self-confidence.

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Vera Kalyanrama

Girlstart’s Women in STEM weekly series highlights various women who are making a difference in STEM. Be inspired as these incredible women describe how they became interested in their field, provide insight into a day in the life, and share learnings from their experiences.

Vera Kalyanrama

Design Engineer @ Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

Vera is an engineer that designs processors for laptops and computers. Her favorite part of her STEM career is problem solving with her team, and she is joining today us today to show the importance of increasing the number of Women In STEM.

What sparked your interest and made you want to volunteer with Girlstart?
I saw numerous examples of independent women around me while growing up – my mother and all the teachers at school being a few. That made me think – more than anything, I wanted a financially independent future for myself. If it helps, I wanted to set the same example for other young girls. 

What words of encouragement would you share with girls who want to pursue STEM? 
The STEM industry is an amazing place to be, to build things that change the world around you for good. If you trust you have what it takes, that’s really all you need. Don’t let someone else put a cap on your ability based on their personal experience.

Was there a specific person, program, or event that pushed you to your STEM career?
I saw that people in the STEM field were well respected and that got me motivated to get into this field, along the way I realized how much I loved doing this. In fact at one of my first, day long technical job interviews is when I realized the strong passion I had for this industry, and at the end of the interview, I remember thinking, this is exactly what I want to do and whether or not I get this job, I will find one in this field. Luckily, I did not have to look further, I got the job. Since then, I also did my graduate studies and now work in the semiconductor industry. It’s been a rewarding ride so far.

Why is confidence in STEM important for girls?
STEM is still pretty significantly dominated by men. It is easy to feel like an impostor just because you might be doing things differently. It is also important to know that pretty much any problem can be solved in many different ways and your way of solving it is unique. Confidence is hence importance to take us forward.

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Maria Zambrano

Girlstart’s Women in STEM weekly series highlights various women who are making a difference in STEM. Be inspired as these incredible women describe how they became interested in their field, provide insight into a day in the life, and share learnings from their experiences.

Maria Zambrano

Sr. Social Media Strategist @ AMD

Maria is an accomplished Social Media Strategist working in the tech world. She is sharing her words with the Girlstart audience today in hopes of inspiring more girls to pursue their passions, despite societal expectations. We are excited to have someone like Maria, coming from the marketing side of tech, to discuss how to be involved in STEM and integrate other interests!

Can you describe a little of what you do?
As a Sr. Social Media Strategist, I oversee the development of social media strategies and tactics to grow AMD’s competitive position in the OEM laptop and desktop space.

What do you love about your career?
While I don’t directly touch engineering our great products, I enjoy educating and bringing to light the technological advancements our company has made and seeing how these innovations make their way to the hands of everyday users. 

How did you become interested in STEM?
The program that really got me hooked into the world of science and technology was F.I.R.S.T. Robotics. This high-school program allowed me to build an appreciation for STEM and become an advocate for women in the world of tech. This program also prepared me with the tools to confidently enter the workforce thanks to their commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Do you have a piece of advice you would like to share with our audience?
Find what you love doing and never be intimated. 

Why do you think confidence in STEM important for girls?
Historically there has been disproportionate access to STEM among girls and young women. Instilling confidence in this field at an early age is critical in removing barriers and fostering diversity and inclusion.

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