In the struggle to allow women a chance at a career in math and science, Expanding Your Horizons has been paving the path for nearly 30 years.
Designed to instill hope in the minds of young girls looking for a positive future, Expanding Your Horizons is a math and science based hands-on workshop, gracing the likes of female students for nearly three decades. On March 18, one more year will be tacked onto the legacy.
The conference was founded years ago here at Skyline by a small number of female professors in hopes of lighting the way for young women in science and math fields. One of the founders, Dr. Christine Case, biology professor, feels it is necessary to introduce strength in these fields to girls at a young age, and that it is equally as important to stress the use of math and science.
“I am a respiratory therapist,” Dr. Case said, “and respiratory therapists have to take microbiology.”
The program, which in comparison to other campuses (some universities included), has flourished over the years. The turnout here at Skyline is greater than most other campuses, unto which Expanding Your Horizons has reached.
Young girls and women from grades six through 12 are invited to come out and join in the workshops. Mathematics Professor Pat Deamer, one of the female founders of Expanding Your Horizons, has dedicated her time and effort to encouraging young women to go for their dream careers, and has partaken in the program as a way of doing so.
“Look for the unexpected,” Deamer said. “Be an engineer, architect, anthropologist, all of that, but don’t be afraid of those subjects in high school.”
Every year the turnout is at least 1,000, not counting the staff and workshop instructors. But this year, due to campus construction and one less gymnasium, Expanding Your Horizons will unfortunately only be able to host roughly 750 participants. According to Tiffany Reardon, MESA director and Expanding Your Horizons coordinator, this year’s conference will be just as good as any other, despite the lack of room.
“I think it’ll go well,” Reardon said, “I just wish we had room for the 1100.”
Regardless of the fact that the turnout will be smaller this year, Professor Deamer, along with the rest of the Expanding Your Horizon’s staff, wants each and everyone of the participants to get at least a spur of hope or inspiration from the experience.