8 Young People Who Are Changing the Future of STEM

When it comes to representation, STEM fields are seriously lacking. Hewlett Packard states that less than 1% of computing jobs in the US are held by Black women, and that’s just one of the many statistics demonstrating the STEM gap.

The diversity landscape is changing, with more and more women and people of color pursuing degrees in STEM. In fact, the number of STEM degrees awarded to women has increased 48% in recent years, which is a sign that we’re moving in the right direction.

When it comes to creating more equitable access to STEM resources, young people are unquestionably leading the pack. More and more, we’re seeing Gen Zers topple barriers, overcome monumental challenges, and set the stage for other young people to do the same.

These 8 STEM trailblazers are among many who are paving the way to equitable STEM access for all. Let’s see what they’re up to!

Alexis Williams, 21

This Afro-Latina queer New Yorker is making a name for herself in tech. She’s a programmer with experience in Web Development, Mobile Applications, VR, Wearables and more. Alexis is breaking the mold by bringing awareness to the intersection of social activism and tech, using social media to make her voice heard.

Alexis even teamed up with DoSomething to spread awareness about the STEM gap for our Make STEM 100% program, on a video which you can watch on YouTube. She was also the moderator during our virtual event, Make STEM 100%: A Conversation on Forging Your STEM Future.

🤩 Why we’re so obsessed: The way Alexis bridges the gap between social issues and STEM is aspirational. She’s a wiz at social media and she conveys important concepts in an accessible way that I’m totally here for.

Sofia Ongele, 21

Sofia is a master of transforming curiosity and passion into some seriously epic projects. You might recognize her from TikTok, where she’s gone viral several times with her videos on social activism. As an experienced coder, Sofia calls herself a “hactivist” and uses her knowledge to create websites that encourage civic engagement.

Some of Sofia’s projects include the creation of Black Girl Magic (a Swift Playground), collaboration on the Build Back Juntos initiative, and many others. She’s partnered with When We All Vote, Girls Who Code, Climate Power, United We Dream, and other orgs as well. Talk about an impressive resume!

🤩 Why we’re obsessed: Sofia’s activism is extremely well-rounded, with her efforts touching a variety of impact areas including climate change, voter registration, income equality, and more. It’s super inspiring to see how her efforts have made an impact in so many areas.

Gitanjali Rao, 17

When it comes to brilliant minds, Gitanjali Rao is one of the brightest of our time. You may have heard of her, as she was named TIME’s Kid of the Year in 2020 when she was just 15 years old. One of her first projects was inspired by the Flint water crisis. She developed a lead-sensing device to send water quality information via Bluetooth, which could help bring clean water to vulnerable communities.

Her trailblazing doesn’t end there. She’s also worked on a tool called Epione which could curb prescription opioid addiction with its early detection capabilities. Another one of her epic projects is an app called Kindly, which is designed to end cyberbullying with advanced AI software.

🤩 Why we’re so obsessed: Gitanjali is proof that young people are more than capable of making waves in STEM. It’s also so exciting to see how empathy and compassion back her work. An app that curbs cyberbullying? Incredible work, Gitanjali! Love to see inspired work like hers.

Find out more about Gitanjali on her website.

Lydia Denton, 14

Lydia is a prime example of someone who was able to transform her hardship into action. When her life-threatening allergies and anxiety caused her to start losing her hair and nails, Lydia used these stressors to fuel her inventions. Two of her most notable inventions are her Halcyon Bracelet, which helps with body-focused repetitive behaviors, and her Beat the Heat Car Seat, which detects if a child has been left in a hot car for too long.

Not only are these two inventions a slam-dunk, but she’s also helping combat climate change through her organization Regame Inc., which collects, repairs and redistributes used gaming systems and tablets, so they don’t end up in landfills.

🤩 Why we’re so obsessed: Lydia killing it with her inventions and nonprofit outreach and taking charge of promoting STEM for girls in her community and beyond. She’s also an inspiring example of how our struggles with mental health can be transformed into something beneficial for others.

You can read more about Lydia's inventions here.

Helena Lourdes Donato-Sapp, 13

Helena shows us that we are all so much more than the challenges we face. Her life began with heart surgery when she was just 10 days old, followed by several other medical issues. That eventually led to her being diagnosed with a visual processing disorder and a working-memory disorder, and she later received an ADHD diagnosis. With the odds stacked against her, Helena absolutely obliterated everyone’s expectations and is now one of the most brilliant young voices in STEM.

At just thirteen, Helena is a multi-faceted researcher, writer, and scholar. She uses a social science research method called autoethnography to shed light on her own experiences of Black girlhood and disability while speaking out about decolonizing elementary curriculums. One of her most recent works is an article called Vaccines Then and Now, which seeks to amplify the work of women in STEM, particularly in the medical research arena.

🤩 Why we’re so obsessed: I love a multi-talented queen, and Helena is one of them. Her story is super inspiring not only for neurodivergent folks but for anyone who is facing challenges or barriers to their STEM dreams.

Hop onto Helena’s website to see what she’s up to.

Samuel Woods, 13

How many people do you know who are fluent in over 5 coding languages? Let me see… Nope, the only one that comes to mind is Samuel Woods, a self-taught programmer from Atlanta, Georgia. Samuel’s story includes overcoming housing insecurity and using his experiences to fuel his desire to use coding to solve socioeconomic problems.

Some of Samuel’s achievements include programming the Atom Playground, which animates the periodic table to illustrate each element more clearly and working on a “green yearbook” to create digital yearbooks that are more accessible and eco-friendly.

🤩 Why we’re so obsessed: Samuel’s success is a prime example of how investing in STEM education can truly change lives and allow young people to thrive. Because of the support of one of his teachers and that of Verizon Innovative Learning Schools, he was able to live out his STEM dreams and now hopes to help other students, especially those who are housing insecure, do the same.

See if Samuel's Atom Playground can help you study for your next chem test.

Archika Dogra, 20

Women, especially women of color, face disproportionate barriers to STEM education and careers. Archika saw that gap and decided it was time to take action. She is the co-founder of EduSTEM, an international ​youth-led organization ​that is “increasing diversity in STEM by empowering youth of underrepresented backgrounds to pursue STEM for social good.” I mean, sign me up, Archika!

Her work doesn’t stop there, though. Archika also co-created a sexual assault risk reduction app and she’s also interned at places like NASA, Sensoria, and Salesforce, bringing her unique perspective to every workplace.

🤩 Why we’re so obsessed: Archika’s mission of closing the diversity gap and bringing new perspectives to STEM spaces is nothing short of inspirational. It’s also refreshing to see how she’s created a pipeline between STEM and social awareness, transformation, empathy, and meaning.

See what Archika is up to on her website.

Jay Jay Patton, 17

It’s no secret that STEM is a white male-dominated field. Jay Jay Patton is no stranger to this reality, and when she started learning to code when she was 10, she was determined to make waves. The first app she created was designed for her dad’s nonprofit organization, the Photo Patch Foundation. She then went on to join her dad on his next venture: an online coding school called Unlock Academy.

Jay Jay is more than just a mastermind coder, she’s also a fearless leader in STEM, working hard to inspire other young women of color to pursue a career in the field. Her goal is to get 10,000 women of color into the tech world through her advocacy, and she’s well on her way to doing so. You go, girl!

🤩 Why we’re so obsessed: Jay Jay’s goal to inspire other young women like her is such a shining light. Plus, she and her dad are basically a tech dream team that I stan 100%. Read more about Jay Jay in this sweet interview here on seventeen.com.

These 8 young people are proof that we can indeed do hard things. Not only that, but they’re providing hope for the next generation of STEM leaders and proving that advocating for resources can actually make a difference.

Ready, set, STEM!