One hundred fifty girls from local middle schools showed their interest by attending the Sixth Annual Math Science Conference, which took place Saturday, Feb. 23 at Long Beach Community College.
The conference was sponsored jointly by the Long Beach Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and WRAP, a Long Beach city partnership providing after school programs, and LBCC.
After arriving in buses provided by WRAP, the girls were welcomed by AAUW Co-presidents Deloris Mayuga and Judith Kaho and conference planners Frances Rozner and Sharon Westafer. Keynote speaker Sileneka Smith, an administrative analyst with the Long Beach Department of Public Works, talked to the girls about thinking about their future education and goals.
The girls then attended the three career workshops from a list of ten vocations involving science and math. The presenters, an architect, a banker, a chemical engineer, a coroner, a forensic scientist, two marine biologists, a mechanical engineer, a nurse, an optometrist and a pilot, told about their work and life stories. The workshops were enhanced with the use of hands-on experiences, charts, audiovisual aids and handouts.
At the end of the wrap-up session, evaluations elicited comments such as “I loved it,” “I know what I truly want to do,” “I realize I need to think about my future” and “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to go to college but I know I shouldn’t give up. I now know that anything is possible.”
