Girls in STEM: One Year In, a Lifetime to Go!
May 2025
By Maureen Haeger
Spring is in the air, and first-year college students are springing ahead to the finish line of their freshman year in college. I recently met with our 2024 STEM Forward High School Scholarship winners to catch up and find out how their freshman year in college was wrapping up. It's not surprising that both girls are finishing strong. I enjoyed my conversation with each scholarship recipient and am amazed by their accomplishments. They shared advice for high school seniors reflecting on an amazing first year.
Both girls are enjoying the excitement of the first year in college. Tess Roubik commented, “I am learning a lot about myself while living without my parents and on my own. I have met new people and evolved how I view the world.” She is on the pre-med track at Marquette University. Julia Burant is studying Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech University, and she has found her community at school, which has helped with the transition. Julia finds classwork is stressful yet rewarding at the same time!
Biggest Surprise?
When asked about her biggest surprise, Tess discovered she is passionate about global healthcare. She participated in a global medical brigade at Marquette University. Traveling to Panama and working alongside doctors providing healthcare in a third-world country has changed her life. This service trip focused on performing duties that concentrate on sustainability instead of treating it like a one-time service trip. This hit home when they said, “Remember that we are working with them, not for them”.
Julia said her biggest surprise was “freedom,” the ability to do what she wanted and explore new opportunities. She also mentioned being surprised by how many things she was interested in participating in with the endless opportunities offered.
Biggest Challenge?
One big challenge is encountering course content that you don’t understand. Julia felt high school was easier. She stated, “College is more difficult; you need extra help and time to understand the material. It is easy to become overwhelmed by more complicated coursework, but you must give yourself grace and ask for help.”
Tess mentioned her biggest challenge was managing her time. Getting acclimated to a new environment, meeting new people and making friends, and a more challenging course load than high school, juggling priorities can be difficult, especially being away from home for the first time. Julia spoke of encountering classes where she didn’t understand the content. She felt high school was much easier, so getting used to needing extra time and help comprehending her engineering class content is an adjustment.
Advice to High School Seniors?
Julia advises high school seniors, “Don’t be obsessed with perfection. Give yourself the grace to make mistakes and learn from them.” She is now more focused on learning than worrying about her grade in a particular class. Tess recommends following your passions. Although at times following your passions can be scary and full of unknowns, it will ultimately be so rewarding.
What would be your dream job?
Growing up, Julia was always good at Math and found it interesting. Her family has many engineers, and her parents gave her the desire to learn and encouraged her to discover the world. When asked about her dream job, Julia said she is passionate about person-centered engineering. She wants to be an electrical engineer to help people. She sees a disconnect between engineers and what people want, so her goal is to bridge this gap.
As a child, Tess had an allergic reaction and had to spend a night at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. Her nurse, whom she still remembers today, positively impacted her, so she decided to pursue a career in healthcare.
Who do you look up to?
When asked about who she looks up to, Tess responded that she looks up to a lot of people—professors, upperclassmen, and friends. A big shout-out to her parents; she is so grateful for all of their efforts and support over the years.
Julia looks up to her brother. He is also majoring in Electrical Engineering, so he understands what she is going through. She loves that her brother gives her the hard truth. When giving advice, he gives it to me straight up and keeps it real.
How did winning the scholarship impact you?
Both girls said that winning the scholarship helped them focus on school and career exploration experiences.
““Winning the scholarship gave me a sense of freedom. I was able to choose the college I wanted to attend by eliminating financial barriers.” ”
A scholarship can significantly impact a college freshman in several ways:
Financial Relief: Scholarships reduce or eliminate tuition costs, easing the burden of student loans or personal expenses. This allows students to focus more on academics rather than financial stress or part-time jobs.
Academic Motivation: Receiving a scholarship often comes with expectations (e.g., maintaining a certain GPA), which can encourage freshmen to stay disciplined and perform well academically.
Access to Opportunities: Scholarships may provide access to exclusive programs, mentorships, or networking events, helping freshmen build connections and gain valuable experiences early on.
Increased Confidence: Earning a scholarship can boost a freshman's self-esteem, validating their abilities and potential as they transition to college.
Time Management Challenges: If a scholarship requires ongoing commitments (e.g., community service, extracurriculars), freshmen may need to balance these with coursework and social adjustment, which can be demanding.
On a positive update, Julia recently earned a merit-based scholarship for her remaining three years at Virginia Tech to fulfill her dream of becoming an Electrical Engineer! This will allow STEM Forward to give the remainder of her scholarship to the Elizabeth Bauer Scholarship runner-up, enabling another girl to pursue her dreams in STEM.
We wish both Tess and Julia well as they pursue their dreams in STEM and know they will each accomplish great things!
Are you inspired by both Tess and Julia’s stories? Consider participating in the 20th Annual Scholarship Program Fundraiser Golf Outing and Silent Auction on August 14, 2025, at Morningstar Golfer’s Waukesha. There are a variety of sponsorships with or without golf, as well as a social ticket for non-golfers who want to attend the Scholarship Reception only. Learn more at https://www.stemforward.org/scholarship-golf-outing.
Posted May 2025 by Maureen Haeger, Marketing Communications & Program Manager, STEM Forward.
