By Anchorage high schooler Nat Hannula
Have you ever sat and wondered, “How does the world work?” Every day, I find myself drawn again and again to this question, and through STEM, I begin to find an answer.
At nine years old, I received my first Lego set and my mind began to open up to the possibility that I could build something that wasn’t already pre-made. Ditching the instructions, a spark was lit, and I was on my way. Unfortunately, there weren’t many options for girls in the world of STEM, and I was often told to focus on more “girly” activities. But I knew, even if I might fail, I could be destined for something great through science.
“Women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but less than one third of the science and engineering workforce.”
At ten, I joined the IGNITE program (Including Gifted Needs in Today’s Education) at Oceanview elementary school in Anchorage, which offers additional opportunities for academic acceleration. Through IGNITE, I was shown that school could be so much more than history, numbers, and what I’d learned in the past. During one particularly intriguing session, our IGNITE teacher had us build our own pencils to help us appreciate the journey others had to take to create the technology of today. For those few months, I began to see school in a whole new way. I’d wake up excited for the day, knowing we were going to be building roller coasters, making marble drops, performing science experiments, or learning about the planet. However, it was during our astronomy unit when my future became crystal clear, and my passion for the galaxy and beyond began to soar straight off into outer space!
“Don’t use what’s already in place, know the work, the detail, that even the simplest object takes.”
In my spare time, I’d watch special features with Neil deGrasse Tyson, such as the Big Bang, the Wide World, and Time in Space. These videos kept my mind set on the future, even while knowing the work it would take to make my way into the field of space.
Entering middle school, I began to dedicate my time to studies, with dreams of attending MIT, UCLA, Brown, or an Ivy league. It was at Golden view Middle School where I discovered my passion for writing and I began to dream not just of one day joining NASA, but of becoming a world-renowned author, a philanthropist, and an advocate for dreamers, no matter how big or small those dreams may be.
After a break with in-person STEM activities due to COVID, I finally found my way back to the STEM activities that enriched my school experience when I entered high school. One day when I was walking by the science hall, I saw that one of the Astronomy teachers had left his door open and, curious, I stepped in. Lego displays painted his walls and cabinets; hundreds of buckets of unopened Lego robotics sets covered with dust lay in the corner. At that moment, everything came back, as if I too was brought out of a haze. The dust of COVID’s wear on my heart blew gently away, and the light in my eyes ignited once again.
From that day on at my high school’s Lego club, I spent an hour after school every day building away; the teacher in charge of robotics became someone I trusted and looked forward to seeing each day.
Last school year, I built various track pads, discovering only the surface of Lego robotics. I also built my first robot, who I named WALL-E after my favorite childhood movie. Taking Chemistry, Calculus, and AP classes, and engaging in a seminar project and photography, the fire inside me for STEM began to burn again post-pandemic. Through access to STEM resources, me and hundreds of other students have the chance to pursue our dreams.
Soon, I hope to attend the NASA Advanced Space Academy Expedition, where I will be engaging in hands-on activities involving crew member mission planning and training. I’ll be applying for a scholarship for the program this year!
School and afterschool activities involving STEM have opened my eyes to the vast opportunities there are in life and the complexity of our planet and space. Just a tiny atom in a universe of matter, I’m reminded how small I am, but that one voice can make a change.
By widening the resources available for young girls in STEM, we can shed the stereotype that girls’ capabilities are limited, empowering every Alaskan female to know that they are strong, smart , and capable of becoming who they want to be.
Access STEM resources through the Alaska Afterschool Network here.
Check out the Million Girls Moonshot Initiative, which is working to inspire and prepare the next generation of innovators by engaging one million more girls in STEM learning opportunities through afterschool and summer programs over the next five years.
About Natalie Hannula:
A young teen raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Natalie spends her time reading, writing, and spending time with family. When she grows up, she hopes to pursue a career at NASA in aerodynamics, and as a mission crew member. Her Nana, an Alaskan nurse, inspires her to question the world, and strive to be the change. “For prevention starts with awareness and a catalyst for change.”
I will continue to question, learn, and grow, for reality is closer than you know.