Laura Pashley

Laura Pashley ~ As a mother of two daughters in engineering, I’m still surprised by the gender gap in some fields. This blog celebrates trailblazing women in engineering—their perseverance, achievements, and impact—showing what’s possible for the next generation.

To honor each woman featured, I’m making a donation to FIRST Robotics. As a longtime mentor, I’ve seen firsthand how they inspire and support girls in STEM.

Join me in celebrating these inspiring women and their journeys!

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When girls see women thriving in STEM, they believe they can too. But without representation, the message is clear: This isn’t for you.
It’s time to change that. More visibility, mentorship, and encouragement can inspire the next generation to lead in STEM. Read more + Book Recommendations. 

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Inspiring Stories & Role Models From Sci-Fi to Science: How Fictional Heroines Inspire Real-Life STEM Leaders. Explore how characters like Shuri (Black Panther) or Ellie Arroway (Contact) encourage girls to pursue STEM fields. Ready to inspire the next generation of innovators? Check out this must-read list of STEM books for girls and spark a love for science today with Sci-Fi book recommendations.

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Throughout history, women have revolutionized the way we live with groundbreaking inventions—many of which we use daily without a second thought. From the coffee filter to GPS technology, these innovators have shaped modern life in ways both big and small.

In this article, we celebrate the brilliant women behind these game-changing creations and share must-read books that inspire young minds to explore STEM. Discover how their resilience, creativity, and determination continue to impact the world today! Read on to learn about these incredible women and their lasting legacy + book recommendations!

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STEM education sharpens critical thinking, data analysis, and scientific writing—essential skills for problem-solving and effective communication. From crafting well-reasoned arguments to writing precise lab reports, these abilities set students up for success. Want to see how STEM builds lifelong skills? Read on to learn why it’s a game-changer for future innovators! + Book recommendations!

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STEM-focused children’s ficition books do more than educate—they spark curiosity, resilience, and a love for problem-solving. By blending science with engaging stories, these books make complex ideas accessible and exciting.

With diverse characters and strong female role models, STEM literature breaks stereotypes and encourages all kids to explore science and technology. From Ada Twist, Scientist to The Wild Robot, these stories inspire the next generation of innovators. Check out our top fiction STEM book recommendations and see how literature can ignite a passion for discovery!

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As a writer, I dreamed my daughters would find careers that sparked creativity and offered stability. I never expected FIRST Robotics to be the game-changer. Despite a male-dominated space, they embraced engineering—and never looked back. 

Their journey opened my eyes to the power of STEM—not just for financial security, but for building confidence, resilience, and breaking barriers. Curious how it shaped their journey? Read on to see why getting girls into STEM matters more than ever along with book recommendations!

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

I studied aerospace engineering (aeronautics concentration) at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ. I didn’t always know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but once I knew I wanted to work with planes, I was set. In my sophomore year, I interviewed with the Air Force civilian service and started an internship for flight test. I’m now a full time radar test engineer at Edwards AFB working on the F-35.

What do you most enjoy about your current position?

I enjoy getting to do work for the warfighter at my current job. Without making sure the F-35’s radar works the way it’s intended, it wouldn’t be an asset to the men and women defending our country.

Did you have a favorite mentor and how did they inspire you? 

My favorite mentor is my first boss. She works so hard to achieve whatever she sets her mind to and inspires others to do the same.

What is one piece of advice you wish you had received when you were just starting out?

One piece of advice I wish I had received when I was just starting out is to never compromise your peace.

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

My background has primarily been in space systems engineering with Northrop Grumman. Right now, I am actually on a short-term rotation doing a hybrid of systems and manufacturing engineering. It has been really eye-opening to be able to apply my systems experience to improve manufacturing, and hopefully apply my manufacturing experience I will have gained at the end of this rotation to improve systems engineering. They are very different, but complement each other very well in a way that I don’t think is truly appreciated.

What do you most enjoy about your current position?

In my current position, I am most enjoying physically being on the floor with the hardware, the engineers, and the technicians. Their feedback and lessons learned have truly opened my eyes to how important communication and documentation are. Being able to expand my network with a variety of professionals from all across the lifetime of a project has been so valuable, and I am looking forward to incorporating their advice into my career.

Did you have a favorite mentor and how did they inspire you? 

As an early-career professional, I have a lot of mentors that I look up to. If I had to pick a favorite, I would choose JL Calouro from my very first internship with Northrop Grumman in high school. Being a high school student working in a Northrop Grumman facility was very intimidating, but both him and the team i was on were extremely welcoming and supportive. Anyone who knows me knows that I ask a lot of questions, and JL and the team really encouraged me to get comfortable outside my comfort zone. Ultimately, that experience really solidified my confidence in my future of being an aerospace engineer.

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

My name is Michaela and I'm currently a materials science PhD candidate studying ductile fracture mechanisms in additively manufactured metals at Penn State. I received my Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My experience on a FIRST Robotics team in high school lead me to my mechanical engineering degree, and my experience on Illini Solar Car in college encouraged my interest in fracture mechanics and grad school. I eventually want to combine my materials science and mechanical engineering skills to design mechanical components that are resistant to failure.

What do you most enjoy about your current position?

While I definitely consider myself more of an engineer than a scientist, I like that I have a new way of approaching problems. When I was on my solar car team, I had problems I had to solve quickly, so I wanted to get a good enough solution that worked as soon as possible. In my PhD as a scientist, I'm no longer looking for just a solution, but actually understanding the fundamentals of the whole problem. I now have a bigger toolbox in which I can solve engineering problems in the future.

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

I went to school at Iowa State to study computer science. In high school I was involved in FIRST robotics, and from that I was pretty sure that I wanted to go into stem, but had a really tough time figuring out exactly what I wanted to do. I ended up choosing computer science because it's such a broad field and there are needs in just about every field, whether it's academic or corporate, big or small, and I liked that it's also developing so fast with new technologies and new jobs all the time. I've been working full time as a software engineer for two years now, and absolutely love it!

What do you most enjoy about your current position?

One of my favorite things is the trial and error that we do every day, and the way that even the mistakes then the fixes keep building on each other until it eventually turns out. The great thing about software is how accessible it is - you don't need a huge workshop to try it out, and you don't have to get everything right on the first try. Way before anyone gets to see or use the code that I write, we go through plenty of tests, and rewrites, and often many versions that don't work at all, but it's part of the process and it's a great way to learn every day.

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

I studied industrial and systems engineering at the University of Florida. I am interested in process optimizations, emerging technologies, and I enjoy working with people from different backgrounds. I am currently pursuing my masters degree in systems engineering from Cornell University. I am an industrial engineer in the Aerospace Industry.

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

Growing up in Florida, I had a unique opportunity to grow my interest in space at a young age. I visited the Kennedy Space Center multiple times through school field trips and have been fortunate enough to watch a couple rocket launches. My passion for STEM really took off in high school when I joined a FIRST FRC robotics team, Botcats Team 3653, where I eventually became the project manager and CAD lead in my senior year. This experience solidified my love for engineering and led me to pursue a dual degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Florida (UF), Go Gators! 

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

I went to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in neuroengineering. With this, I got my first job after graduation at Epic Systems, a healthcare software company based in Verona, Wisconsin. I currently work in a healthcare IT role where I support multiple hospital organisations in optimising their instances of Epic's software on the Clinical Documentation application.

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

Growing up, my parents worked for the local county school district. My mom was a literacy interventionist, and my dad a school psychologist. Neither of them were very science, math, or engineering oriented, but they were (and still are) creatively-minded. In public school, I always excelled more in math. I ended up going to a technical public high-school where I could take career-centered courses alongside my requirements for graduation. There was a pre-engineering academy at the school but I knew I was more interested in technology, so I was in the Information Technology HW academy. 

*An FPGA design engineer is an electrical engineer who specializes in the design development and application of FPGAs - Field Programmable Gate Arrays. FPGAs are special digital integrated circuits. Their main advantage is that they can be programmed and reprogrammed to perform different tasks. 

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

I joined engineering later in life - ten years after graduating with other degrees, after getting married, after having my daughter. My first job was testing rocket engines and now I am testing USAF'S new trainer jet.

What do you most enjoy about your current position?

Testing. I love seeing problems and working through to solutions. 

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

Caltech senior pursuing a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Business, Economics, and Management with a minor in Aerospace Engineering. At Caltech, works with the Fluid Mechanics and Thermosciences group at GALCIT, publishing research on physics-informed machine learning and experimental and computational aerodynamics, with applications acquired by Boeing. 

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now?

The short version: I'm from a small town in Michigan! I graduated the first time around with a B.S. in Aviation. I started my career in the Aviation industry working for a cargo airliner and learning to fly planes. When the Commercial Space Industry started to ramp up, I opted to go back to school for a second B.S. in space Flight Operations & Human Factors. I was accepted into the Brooke Ownes Fellowship during this time and held an internship working on the Stratolanch aircraft.

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Can you tell us a bit about your background and what you do now? 

I got my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico, and now I'm working as a research assistant and graduate student at Purdue University. I have just finished my first year of graduate school and I'm working on a project testing refrigerant flammability. Additionally, I work as a virtual intern for a national laboratory helping with research and development efforts!

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Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a first generation graduate that studied Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. I am currently an Aeronautical and Astronautical Structures Engineer.  

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a first generation graduate that studied Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. I am currently an Aeronautical and Astronautical Structures Engineer. 

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