EngineerGirl Introduces 23 New Student Ambassadors

Today, The National Academy of Engineering announced the 2022 class of EngineerGirl Ambassadors. The 23 high school students will participate in a yearlong program designed to build leadership skills, generate excitement for engineering, and engage younger students in their community.

Each EngineerGirl Ambassador will design, develop, and implement a project that will introduce younger girls — particularly those with little access to engineering role models — to engineering and give them practical experience in engineering design. Ambassadors will work with local sponsors and receive guidance and support from EngineerGirl staff.

The 2022-2023 EngineerGirl ambassadors are:

Bianca Bellacosa, 10th grade, Philadelphia, PA. She is planning an after-school program with another Ambassador that will bring together younger girls from around the city and introduce them to STEM fields and professionals.

Megan Chan, 10th grade, Great Neck, NY. She is developing an after-school program at a nearby middle school to introduce girls to role models and hands-on engineering activities.

Leilani Co, 12th grade, Fairfax, VA. She will run a series of workshops around various STEM subjects and help younger girls in her area build skills in teamwork and critical thinking.

Laura Huelskamp, 11th grade, Grantsville, MD. She is developing a program to introduce girls in her rural area to STEM concepts and the engineering design process through hands-on activities and female role models.

Zoey Lestyk, 10th grade, San Diego, CA. She will run a series of workshops that focus on the science and engineering behind various artistic mediums, such as photography, film, and ceramics.

Grace Levine, 10th grade, San Diego, CA. She is planning a program to connect middle school girls with high school mentors on an engineering track as well as professional women in engineering in order to introduce the middle school girls to the fundamentals of engineering.

Dharshini Marudhavanan, 10th grade, Fremont, CA. She is developing a series of coding sessions for younger girls that will use real-world issues to help the girls connect with engineering.

Samantha McCormack, 12th grade, Glen Cove, NY. She is creating an after-school program for 3^rd-5^th grade girls that will use hands-on, relatable activities to get the girls excited about exploring engineering.

Jessica McDaniel, 11th grade, Belle Isle, FL. She will use rocketry and hands-on activities to excite younger girls about different fields of engineering.

Christina Moon, 12th grade, Seaside, CA. She is developing a biweekly program to introduce younger girls to the impact of engineering through interactive activities in computer science.

Kelleigh Newsom, 11th grade, Spring, TX. She is creating project kits and an online video series to introduce at-risk girls to engineering and STEM opportunities.

Amanda Park, 12th grade, Greenwich, CT. She is developing a week-long summer camp that will include fun engineering lessons and activities.

Parul Sadasivuni, 12th grade, Round Rock, TX. She is hosting a six-week web development course for middle school girls at her local library, as well as an engineering fair to expose teens to engineering role models.

Lilianna Sand, 10th grade, Philadelphia, PA. She is planning an after-school program with another Ambassador that will bring together younger girls from around the city and introduce them to STEM fields and professionals.

Jayashabari Shankar, 12th grade, Midvale, UT. She is planning an engineering club at her local middle school that will focus on bioengineering and use fun activities to engage participants.

Maya Shankar, 10th grade, Pearland, TX. She is hosting a program for Girl Scouts to learn about STEM concepts and careers in engineering.

Tanjila Shawkat, 11th grade, Stuart, FL. She is running a program to introduce young girls to engineering and programming through robotics.

Tashvi Singla, 10th grade, Katy, TX. She will introduce 3^rd-5^th grade girls in her community to engineering through immersive and interactive engineering experiments, plus virtual workshops and panels with professional engineers.

Emma Sudo, 12th grade, Glen Oaks, NY. She is developing a six-session engineering program for middle school girls that will introduce students to the engineering design process through design challenges.

Kanika Thakur, 12th grade, San Jose, CA. She is planning a series of after-school robotics workshops for middle school girls that will expose girls to programming and engineering careers.

Calista Wilk, 12th grade, Scottsdale, AZ. She will host an online STEM club for middle school girls through which participants will learn about renewable energy and take part in hands-on projects.

Emma Zhang, 11th grade, Morris Plains, NJ. She will introduce elementary school girls with special needs to engineering through a summer camp and workshop series with hands-on activities.

Gianna Zou, 12th grade, West Orange, NJ. She is creating a program for girls in grades 3 through 6 to explore engineering through activities and hearing from professional women in engineering.

The EngineerGirl ambassadors receives support and project funding of up to $250, leadership development, networking and engagement opportunities, and a certificate and letter of recognition from the National Academy of Engineering.

The EngineerGirl Ambassadors program is made possible by a generous grant from John F. McDonnell.

You can learn more about the Ambassadors program and the new cohort’s projects at EngineerGirl.org/Ambassadors

EngineerGirl is designed for youth in elementary through high school and offers information about various engineering fields and careers, questions and answers, interviews, an annual writing competition, and other resources on engineering. EngineerGirl is part of the NAE’s ongoing effort to increase the diversity of the engineering workforce.

Founded in 1964, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering is a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. Its mission is to advance the welfare and prosperity of the nation by providing independent advice on matters involving engineering and technology, and by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and public appreciation of engineering.

###