YWIB-Chicago: Future Innovators – A STEM Career Adventure

The Young Women In Bio (YWIB) Chicago event on Saturday, April 18, joined middle school students with industry professionals at Portal Innovations for an inspiring morning focused on exploring STEM careers. To kick things off, YWIB-Chicago volunteers, Ashley Nagle, Senior Director of Business Development at Tekton Research, and Anna Lisa Somera, Chief Strategy Officer at Rhaeos, shared their career journeys and lessons learned along the way. A central theme throughout the conversation was the importance of exploration, as both speakers emphasized that exposure is key for young women considering careers in STEM. Ashley encouraged students to “take every opportunity to get exposed to new things,” highlighting the value of building new skills. Anna Lisa echoed this sentiment, noting that while science can be challenging, curiosity and persistence can open unexpected doors. What begins as a small spark of interest, she shared, can evolve into a meaningful and impactful career.

When asked what advice they would give their younger selves, both speakers emphasized the non-linear nature of careers. Anna Lisa noted that “science is everywhere,” extending far beyond traditional lab roles. Ashley shared that she once saw herself strictly in the humanities, only to later realize that her strengths in communication and relationship-building were highly valuable in STEM. Their stories highlighted that there is no single path into science and that diverse skill sets are not only relevant but essential. Both speakers also emphasized the importance of maintaining balance through hobbies and activities outside of work, reinforcing that sustaining a career requires caring for yourself.

The event concluded with hands-on activities led by student clubs from William Jones College Preparatory High School and STEM professionals, giving attendees the opportunity to engage directly with scientific concepts. Activities included building an electrocardiogram, a rocketry design and parachute challenge, strawberry DNA extraction, engineering a tin foil floating vessel, and a cookie dough stem cell activity. The day concluded with a lab tour of Grove Biopharma, offering students a firsthand look at lab-based careers in biotechnology. 

Submitted by Anna Di Staulo