On January 21, 2026, IGNITE Worldwide hosted a Women in STEAM Panel for 60 students at Burton High School. The event brought together professionals from Swinerton Builders, Salter, and Disney, featuring Mia Brown, Community Relations Specialist at Swinerton Builders; Sybille Roth, Senior Associate at Salter; Yueyi Cheng, Software Engineer at Google, and Yun Lien, Principal Software Engineer at Disney. Educator Audrey Portley-Bernstein supported the event, helping create a welcoming space for open conversation and curiosity.
The Panel focused on what it’s actually like to build a career in STEAM, especially in male-dominated fields. Students appreciated how genuine the Panelists were when sharing candid experiences. Questions ranged from whether apprenticeships are possible right after high school to how important math and science skills are early on, what to major in if you’re undecided, and whether it’s possible to find mentors while still in high school. Panelists encouraged students to experiment widely, reminding them that it’s completely normal not to have everything figured out in 9th grade. Their advice was clear and reassuring: try different paths, talk to people about their experiences, seek out internships or apprenticeships to test your interests, and build a network of women mentors so you don’t have to navigate your journey alone. The conversation left students feeling grounded, curious, and more confident about exploring STEAM on their own terms.
“My favorite thing I learned today was about the challenges that helped them get to where they are today. Another thing I liked was learning about the different types of jobs they have.”
11th Grade IGNITE Student
“What inspired me was seeing a lot of women in STEM and seeing them doing well and thriving in the career path they chose. It just gives me hope.”
11th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s Women in STEM event inspired me by showing that women can succeed in science and technology. It made me feel more confident and motivated about my own future.”
12th Grade IGNITE Student
STUDENTS SURVEYED FOLLOWING PARTICIPATION IN THIS EVENT REPORTED...
60%
INTERESTED IN STEM
81%
KNOW MORE ABOUT STEM CAREERS & THE BENEFITS OF WORKING IN STEM
71%
FEEL MORE CONFIDENT
IN PURSUING STEM
80%
GAINED PERSPECTIVE & FEEL MORE HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE
Additional Student Feedback:
“Today’s event inspired me to work harder and get better grades.” – 10th Grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing I learned today was about construction and technology.” – 10th Grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing I learned is that I should work hard because it can get me to bigger and better places in life.” – 11th Grade IGNITE Student
“The event today inspired me to pursue a career in a field where I can represent a minority. Usually, in white male-dominated fields, those are the only perspectives being given.” – 11th Grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing learned today was how most of the women did not initially think they were going to be pursuing the career they chose. This makes me feel better about not knowing what I want to major in yet.” – 11th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today was an event that made me think that I’m interested in going into STEM in college. I learned that STEM is kind of interesting.” – 12th Grade IGNITE Student
“I learned how to choose a career that I would like, and choosing a career that would make me happy.” – 9th Grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing I learned today was that high school is a time to find who you are.” – 9th Grade IGNITE Student
“This inspired me to work harder and understand that having a breakdown or feeling upset is normal. This also helped me be more confident and comfortable as a woman.” – 11th Grade IGNITE Student
“It inspired me to look into more STEM-related jobs. I’m not sure if I want to do a STEM-related job or not, but I will think about it.” – 11th Grade IGNITE Student
“It inspired me by showing me I am capable of my dreams because I see more people who are like me doing them.” – 12th Grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing I learned today was about where all the professionals worked and what their workspace looks like every day.” – 12th Grade IGNITE Student
“Today’s event inspired me to push further and find things that work for me.” – 11th Grade IGNITE Student
“One of my favorite things I learned today was learning about each person’s story and how they got into their career, and they were funny too.” – 9th Grade IGNITE Student
“The women taught us a lot about how we are going to change, to be confident in the person you are now, and that it’s okay to try new things and fail at them to find what makes us happy.” – 12th Grade IGNITE Student
“Thanks for teaching us a lot about what you do on a typical day. I enjoyed listening to what each woman did, even the niche parts of their jobs, and how they overcame working in male-dominated spaces.” – 12th Grade IGNITE Student
“My favorite thing I learned today was how women in STEM overcome challenges and make a big impact in their fields. Thank you to the volunteers for sharing their stories and inspiring us.” – 12th Grade IGNITE Student
Thank you to our IGNITE Volunteers and Educators:
- Mia Brown
- Sybille Roth
- Yun Lien
- Yueyi Cheng
- Audrey Portley-Bernstein
About IGNITE Worldwide:
IGNITE Worldwide is a 501(c)3 nonprofit STEM education organization that aims to change gender and racial equity in STEM permanently and systematically. We work directly with teachers during the school day to provide programming that promotes gender equity and representation in STEM academics and careers. Through our award-winning program, IGNITE provides engaging, hands-on events that connect students with STEM professionals from industry leaders from around the world. Learn more at igniteworldwide.org.