Many high school girls feel the pressure to succeed in today’s ultra-competitive world but aren’t sure what opportunities are available and how they align with their abilities and passions.
At UCI, the Girls Gateway to Technology and Engineering Careers, or GiGaTEC, attracted nearly a hundred high school and junior high school student athletes from the Pateadores Soccer Club and other area clubs.
While on campus, the girls learned about technology and engineering career opportunities in fields such as Health, Environment, Social Networking, Smart Manufacturing, Computing, Mobility, Information Technology and Civil Infrastructure.
The girls visited 18 discovery stations hosted by UCI research labs and STEM professionals, met with 5 players from the UCI Women’s Soccer team to learn about life as collegiate student athletes, and heard 6 entrepreneurial women speak on technology career opportunities and the role of athletics in their career development.
All participants agreed that GiGaTEC was a success! Girls left the program with an increased awareness of careers in technology and engineering. Plus, they got a taste of the fun and excitement that these careers hold.
GiGaTEC was made possible with support from:
Samueli School of Engineering
UCI Division of Undergraduate Education
UCI Advancement
Pateadores Soccer Club
Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Paul Merage School of Business
UCI Applied Innovation
Mark and Kathleen Santora
