Candace McCabe

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.

Candace McCabe

Sr. Solution Architect – InfoSec GRC @ Walmart

Candace has been the “only girl” in the room many times in her career. She has fought to develop a tribe of women that stand with her, in spirit, in those kinds of rooms today. Because of this, she wants to encourage girls to feel empowered to stand up and stand out in STEM careers knowing that there are women like her here to help. We are greatly honored to have such a strong woman on our blog today and we are excited to hear what she has to say!

Was there a specific moment in your life that led you to your STEM career?
I always had an aptitude for languages, as well as math. Data has always made sense. Once I was introduced to project management and product delivery using data, I was hooked.

What is a “Solution Architect”?
I am an expert strategist, architect, and leader with 25+ years of experience in information privacy and governance, analysis, design, architecture, and project management. I have deep expertise in information privacy, architecture, and governance; enterprise architecture; and technical architecture.

What projects have you worked on in your career?
I am currently the product owner for analytics and machine-learning based forecast and ordering system for disaster preparedness. I previously developed and managed the information governance and information privacy practices at another Fortune 400 company.

What is your greatest achievement?
Raising a strong, smart, independent daughter.

Why is confidence in STEM important for girls?
These girls will be the “only” in the room. They have to be confident in their ability and their knowledge to bring that highly valued diverse voice into that room to be heard. Without these diverse voices, we will never have the best products and services available.

What words of encouragement would you share with girls wanting to pursue a career in STEM?
I, and others like me, are here! We want to stand with you, beside you, and behind you to help you navigate this world and be the best that you can be.

Candace McCabe ,education ,engineering ,Fun ,girls ,Girlstart ,kids ,math ,science ,STEM ,technology ,women in stem

March 23, 2021March 23, 2021

Materials List: Lunar Starry Night at Home

We are excited for you to participate in Girlstart’s Starry Night at Home, including a Lunar show and hands-on STEM activities! Gather materials from around the house and join us on Thursday, April 1st for Starry fun.

Lunar Augmented Reality

Smartphone with internet access

Moon Leap

Paper
Pencil or marker

Oreo Moon Phases

4 Oreos or other chocolate sandwich cookies
Paper plate
Pen, pencil, or markers
Popsicle stick or butter knife

Soft Landing

Egg – regular or hard-boiled
Paper
Pencil
Tape

An assortment of the following materials, or similar items found around your house:

Balloons
Bubble wrap
Cotton balls
Marshmallows
Pieces of cardboard
Pipe cleaners
Pom poms
Popsicle sticks
Rubber bands
Scissors

activities ,education ,engineering ,experiments ,Fun ,girls ,Girlstart ,hands-on ,kids ,math ,science ,starry night ,starry nights at home ,STEM ,technology

March 17, 2021March 19, 2021

Sarah Garr

Medical Science Liaison @ EMD Serono

Sarah has always been interested in STEM and is a strong advocate for diverse groups of women in this industry. We are delighted to have her on our blog today and are excited to hear all about the amazing work she is doing in her career!

What sparked your interest and made you want to volunteer with Girlstart?

I think that everyone should hear more about careers in STEM, but especially girls and even more specifically girls of color. Women and women of color (i.e. Black, indigenous, and people of color) are under-represented in STEM careers, so we should strive to let young women (of color) know about STEM career opportunities and provide them all the support we can!

Was there a specific person, program, or event in your life that led you to the pharmaceutical industry?

I’ve always been interested in science, and then biology class in 9th grade showed me how much I loved that kind of science. My advisor freshman year of college helped me get involved with neuroscience courses and activities, and I haven’t stopped pursuing brain-related thing since!

What are your favorite things about being a Medical Science Liason?

I love the scientific discussions I get to have with healthcare providers, the opportunities I have for learning about various neuroscience or neurology topics, and the chance – when there’s not a global pandemic – to travel while I connect with those healthcare providers.

Why is confidence in STEM important for girls?

Confidence in STEM is important for girls so they know that they can pursue any career they want to, even if it is a field dominated by men. Additionally, comfort in discussing and learning about STEM topics will lead to a more well-rounded education and more capable adults who are science literate.

What would you like to tell girls who are interested in pursuing a STEM career? What words of encouragement would you share with them?

You absolutely belong in a STEM career! Women scientists, engineers, technicians, and mathematicians have contributed groundbreaking work to various projects including landing on the moon, seeing the structure of DNA, learning about basic scientific forces, and contributing to moving humanity forward to a brighter, better future. If you don’t understand something, then that doesn’t mean that you never will; take another try, ask someone for help, or take a break and come back fresh. There are lots of things people don’t understand, and it’s not a problem if you don’t understand something. In fact, that means that you’re probably about to learn something really exciting if you just keep trying!