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Testimonials

As my first ever year attending an institution of higher education is finally complete, I can say I have had one of the most fulfilling years of my life. Even with loads of other responsibilities, applying for this fellowship was an extremely crucial opportunity for me, and I am so thankful I reached out to it with grasping arms.

 

I have not only made fantastic connections with my fellows, but also with our lovely supervisor Fang. The fellows I have worked with are so incredibly gifted and genuine, and I know they are all set for amazing things. Fang is wonderfully sweet and engaging us in her passions is always a priority for her. She is not only a hardworking mother but a determined and focused worker as well, which I admire greatly. The bonds I have made with these coworkers of mine will be carried on with me for the rest of my life, so I am very grateful for having met them and worked alongside them. I've expanded my knowledge on MakerSpace technology tremendously through trainings and activities for AR/VR spaces, 3D Modeling and Printing sessions, as well as FabLab workshops such as woodcutting. These are intriguing opportunities I would never have had the chance to experience previously, and they have only increased my enthusiasm about engaging in my major and future STEM career. Thank you WMP!! (: 

- Cohort 2020

Through this program, I learned how important it is for me to speak up and contribute, especially as a woman in STEM.

 

I really loved working as a team during the community project, this truly enhanced my communication and leadership skills. Before this, I didn't like to be the leader or responsible for the group, but now I embrace it. And even though the community project was a group effort, as an individual I learned how to effectively follow through with an idea/plan and make better use of my time management.

 

Furthermore, creating the Girl Scouts Maker Camp taught me a lot about how important it is to be a role model for younger girls and that it is better to share my knowledge and experience with them in hope that it inspires them or even if it just shifts their perceptive of STEM in the slightest.

 

I am truly grateful for this program and all the lessons I learned from it.

- Cohort 2020

My experience with the Women's Maker Program exceeded my expectations. I learned about the Women's Maker Program from a mass email sent out by one of my professors. I initially thought this opportunity was too good to be true. I enjoyed the driven environment fueled by the desire to learn and grow. Everyone in the cohort was so welcoming and kind. I felt comfortable sharing my ideas and receiving constructive criticism to improve our projects. Overall I felt very accomplished after the final showcase.

- Cohort 2021

This program provided not only the tools and skills of a designer, but also taught me the mindset of a designer. I was able to learn how to identify it and how to approach a solution. I learned how to recognize future users of a solution and to design for those specific users. I had the chance to learn and use a myriad of maker technologies and spent the semester with a cohort of brilliantly intellectual women. This program was an invaluable experience that I'll remember for a lifetime.

- Cohort 2021

I really enjoyed being in the Women's Maker Program. It gave me a good outlet to learn about things with guided support and without fear of judgement. The girls selected with me were all kind and willing to help which make it a successful learning environment. This was a great way to meet other women in STEM and establish new relationships, not only with the girls in the cohort but also with its leaders Fang and Maggie. It's nice to know that you have both people your age and those older than you rooting for you and your success.

- Cohort 2023

Before the program started, I was considering changing my major to astrophysics because I belonged in the engineering school. Getting to meet other girls who were also majoring in engineering and had had similar experiences to me helped me feel more comfortable with my major. By getting the opportunity to teach, present, and hear presentation tips, I gained confidence and I believe I am now a better public speaker. I have gained close friends from this program, and I am very happy to have had this experience.

- Cohort 2023

I am so grateful to have been a part of such a program. I finished inspired and felt like I grew as a leader. Throughout the design process in the second part of the program, I gained much needed knowledge and advice that I will use now and in my future. Through our various tasks I learned how to work amongst people and collaborate alongside on another to create such a meaningful project. As for the Girl's Maker Camp, I had a great experience being able to take what I learned and then teach the girls and inspire them to pursue careers in STEM. Overall, I'm grateful to have participated in such a program and to have had the mentors I did and the support from Ms. Fang, Maggie, and Jenny.

- Cohort 2023

The Women's Maker Program gave me an environment to learn without being afraid to make mistakes. Without having my work attached to letters and numbers, I was able to see my errors as room for improvement rather than failures. I hadn't felt comfortable doing this in the past, which is ironic since mistakes are part of everyday life and are perhaps the best way we learn to improve.

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The WMP also gave me a chance to explore and better the world around me. I learned to use different forms of technology that I had not had access to and would not have come across in my undergraduate experience had I not joined the program. This knowledge will be vital considering technology plays a large roll in many, if not all, careers, helping me to not feel intimidated if I encounter them in the future. The community project also helped me feel like I was a part of something greater than myself during my first year of college.

- Cohort 2021

I am so incredibly happy I was able to participate in this program. My ability to use maker mindsets has definitely increased, so challenges do not scare me the way they used to.

 

After completing the girl scout camp plan and the community project, I have a new sense of confidence in my capabilities. I also loved the opportunities to use maker space technologies and to explore how they work and their real world applications.

 

I learned a lot of STEM specific things in this program, but I also learned things about hard work in general, and I met incredible friends and mentors in the process.

- Cohort 2020

I definitely enjoyed my experience with this program. From the get-go we were already learning about a handful of maker technologies like 3D modeling and 3D printing, and I loved getting the chance to learn and then print a giraffe using the MakerBot.

 

After learning these basics, we had the opportunity to create a workshop to teach these maker space skills to middle school girls, which was amazing. I learned more about myself and how to be a better leader, and I'm glad these girls had fun learning about STEM.

 

Additionally, we partook on a community project to work on and present at the end of the semester. This project was pretty extensive, but I loved the journey and got to make new friends in my team along the way. We brainstormed multiple ideas, went through some ups and downs, but by the end of the program, we created an app prototype using Figma. Being able to actually develop this app and piece together all the screens and whatnot was so cool, and I'm glad I had to opportunity to work on it. I never thought I'd ever have the chance to do this, not until way into the future, but with this program, I was able to work with all sorts of technologies and learn about alternative approaches to developing solutions, and I can now build upon these foundational skills for the future."

- Cohort 2021

From this program, I have learned quite a bit about myself, from my strengths that I would never expect myself to have to weaknesses that I found myself learning to accept and improve upon. I also gained insight into more career opportunities via my beginning mastery of different makerspace technologies and through the speaker sessions done to broaden our perspectives into certain careers, which were extremely insightful. The program has made me think more out of the box as well, pushing for creativity into spaces that I thought were not used. Plus, I gained a great mentor and a wonderful group of friends, all in which have the similar aspirations as I have.

- Cohort 2021

The Women's Maker Program (WMP) is a great way for any woman in STEM to find a place of community. Because the cohort is smaller, it's easier to get to know others from many different backgrounds. I myself am in the College on the pre-med track, so most of my classes run in the same circles of people. WMP has allowed me to meet many amazing young women from the engineering school, and learn about their own experiences at UVA. It has also allowed me to work with technologies (i.e. 3D printing, 3D modeling, etc.) that I would've never been able to try otherwise. Overall, I would definitely suggest the program to anyone that's looking for a sense of community, while also finding their way in STEM-oriented fields.

- Cohort 2023

From the Women's Maker Program I was able to meet other women passionate about STEM. Although we didn't begin that way, I believe we learned a lot, and we're all supported to become confident. Additionally, I truly enjoyed the maker-space technologies we learned. At this point I have completely mastered 3D printing and design and I enjoy spending hours at Clem 3.

- Cohort 2023

Overall, I really enjoyed this program. I've met wonderful people who have the same passions as me when it comes to STEM, and it is inspiring to be alongside with them. I also learned a lot about growth mindset and I felt that I am more confident in STEM and using technologies I wasn't familiar with. I also am able to support myself and other as this program enables me to connect with diverse members of the community through talks and workshops and better connect me with resources and CIOs on Grounds. Thank you for having me in this program! I am so grateful for being a part of this wonderful community.

- Cohort 2023

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