Girls in STEM: Inspire, Empower, Ignite

A leader in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, Bullis offers an innovative, hands-on curriculum that allows students to investigate real-world problems and design solutions through an inquiry-based approach. Students ask, imagine, plan, create, present, evaluate, and improve as they engage in the disciplines of STEM to make a positive impact in their community. At Bullis, this process begins in Kindergarten and continues through senior year. In February 2022, eight incredible female Upper School students traveled to Middleburg, Virginia, to compete in Foxcroft School’s 11th annual STEM Challenge as first-time contenders.

Working in groups of four, our two Bullis teams rotated through five challenges in biology, chemistry, physics, coding, and engineering. The girls applied their knowledge of STEM to take on ocean acidification, microplastics pollution, ocean farming, and more as they participated in challenges revolving around the “Ocean’s 9-1-1” theme. Their goal was to obtain the highest scores in the fastest time possible in each challenge against the 118 girls competing from 14 schools throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.

Bullis School’s team Marvelous Manatees, comprised of seniors Grace Heinzelmann, Jalin Jenkins, Anna Rose Robinson, and Amiyah Turner, won the overall competition and claimed the high school trophy. The team also took 1st Place in Physics, 2nd Place in Logic, and 3rd Place in Chemistry. Victoria Marshall ’23, Kiana Mohammadian ’23, Regan Smith ’22, and Julia Zhu ’23 from Bullis’s second team, Courageous Crabs, placed in two of the five challenges, winning 1st Place in Chemistry and 2nd Place in Physics.

Our tenacious, brilliant, and competitive students demonstrated grit, respect, and a friendly competitive edge throughout the competition, representing Bullis with character and dignity.

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Bullis Magazine asked our STEM team members to reflect on being a Girl in STEM.

• How did you get involved in STEM at Bullis?

• Grace: Just taking high-level math and science courses that Bullis offers helped me continue my love and passion for STEM. I also have engaged in science-oriented clubs such as Girls in STEM and Tree Equity. I’m also a part of our chapter of the National Science Honor Society.

  Anna Rose: I became interested in science in 7th grade after taking Mr. Miller’s science class. I took my regular science classes until I could become more involved in Upper School. I joined the Women in STEM club in 10th grade and the National Science Honor Society in 11th grade.

  Kiana: My first dip into STEM at Bullis was through math. I developed my love for number answers, and naturally, the next step was to put my math skills into real-life scenarios. Physics is one involvement at Bullis that made me love STEM classes.

  Julia: My father works in the Science field which got me involved in STEM at a young age. In my family, science subjects are always not only my favorites but my parents'. I enrolled in both core science courses and electives to explore my interests at Bullis. For me, Bullis really provides an essential role in helping me find out what I like.

• What do you enjoy most about STEM?

• Grace: I love the hands-on portion — actually applying all the knowledge I have and creating something new or finding a solution to a problem.

  Anna Rose: I’m detail-oriented so I love being meticulous in a lab setting. I find it so fun to carefully carry out interesting experiments.

  Kiana: I enjoy the creating aspect most.

  Julia: The mysterious beauty that keeps me always wanting to create and dive deep under the surface of everything.

• So far, what has been your favorite STEM project? Why?

• Grace: In sophomore year I participated in the Bullis science fair. My partner and I developed a project about wax worms and explored how they could be used to reduce plastic waste. Wax worms are capable of digesting plastic beyond the micro-plastic level. They could potentially be used to help reduce plastic pollution in the future.

• Please share your thoughts about the STEM competition you participated in.

• Grace: It was so incredibly fun. Everyone there shared my love of science and had a genuine interest in putting in their all and succeeding— but more importantly, we were all there to have fun.

  Anna Rose: I was nervous going into it because I didn’t know what to expect. It was hard to tell how we were doing during the competition, so we just did our best and had a lot of fun at each station. It was SO surprising and exciting to hear that we’d won. I felt really proud of myself and my friends.

  Julia: My team ranked first place in the Chemistry station. I was pretty confident when I was doing the problems in the math station until I found that our group read the directions wrong. But overall I am happy with our ranking.

• What piqued your interest to participate in a STEM competition?

• Grace: Just being given the opportunity was enough to get me to go. Being able to apply my scientific knowledge outside of the classroom is not something I do every day.

  Anna Rose: My chemistry teacher approached us to ask if we wanted to participate in the event. My best friend is in that class with me, and we love working in STEM together, so it was an “if you do it, I’ll do it” kind of situation. We thought it would be fun to challenge ourselves and see what we could do.

  Julia: I like to meet people who are interested in STEM outside of Bullis and communicate with them about others' unique thoughts.

• What does being a "Girl in STEM" mean to you?

• Grace: It means I represent something greater than myself. I’m part of a minority and I’m paving the way for a future with more diversity. It sounds cheesy but it’s true and I recognize that.

  Anna Rose: Being a girl in STEM is hard but rewarding. Sometimes it’s a little lonely and intimidating, but it’s always so special to find another girl with your shared STEM interest. We can relate to and support each other in a wonderful way.

  Julia: It represents female power in the STEM field. But for me, the environment I grew up in, my parents, and the people around me encourage girls to get involved in the STEM field, so there is not much difference for me to say "girls" and "boys" in STEM. I am surrounded by people who are interested in STEM, which inspires me to move further.

• Do you plan to pursue STEM next year at Bullis or after graduating? If so, what are your plans?

• Grace: Yes, I'm majoring in Biology at the University of Virginia. While I don't have my whole future figured out, I want to go into a hands-on scientific field such as medicine or veterinary medicine or something of that sort.

  Anna Rose: Yes, I'm going to major in Human Biology next year. My general plan is to work in research and public health advocacy at the CDC.

  Kiana: I would love to go into the field of medicine. So yes, I definitely plan to continue STEM classes at Bullis and in college to further my knowledge.

  Julia: I signed up for the STEM capstone, and I plan to start my independent study in the interdisciplinary area of biology and arts.

• Do you have any other comments about your experiences in STEM?

• Grace: I really hope that more women continue to pursue careers in STEM so the gender gap can close as much as possible.

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This article is featured in the Spring/Summer 2022 issue of Bullis Magazine.