My grandma was in the military. My aunt is a doctor. My mom is a University professor. My older sister is an architect. I want to be a video game developer. I'm so proud to be in a family of intellectual and accomplished black women.
it doesn't matter what your family does when you want to make a career for yourself. what matters is what you can or will do. you're in no better position then the one who comes from a poor family and also wanting to be a video game developer.
Fate Kyougo I never said or implied that I was better than anyone. My commment was just to show that women can be anything they want to be. Don't assume things.
+Stephanie Smith Where is the video addressing the low percent of men in nursing? Oh wait I forgot feminist logic; discrimination against women = sexist discrimination again men = equal opportunity.
akinadownhillace There are scholarships just for men to apply to nursing, just as there are scholarships for women to get into engineering. Also, I'm not a feminist. Good try, though. Honestly your comment is just about as whiny as the feminists'.
@@akinadownhillace if you're passionate about it give a Ted talk yourself. No need to put other people down to bring something that you think is important to light. Minorities in any field should be taken seriously!
"Engineering is for people" I remember my intern days, the head of the department would always say "even your grandma is an engineer. She solves everything in her daily chores by her own. She uses logic. And that's engineering. Be like her. Dont just study books and pass the exams" And that quote impacts me right til this day :D
This made me cry so much... I'm a Jamaican, female, Chemical Engineering student, struggling sooooo hard to find the zeal to continue to pursue this degree. I am the only one in my entire family that has pursued an Engineering degree and that fact alongside being a female and being Caribbean has made me feel soooooo lonely for soooo long. I feel like I don't fit in, and I probably never will. On top of that, I've failed 5 key modules and as such I have to spend an extra year? Can I catch up? Will I ever be good enough? Will I be hired in Jamaica much less anywhere else? Do I have something to contribute to the world?What am I doing and why am I here? I have sooo many dreams and concepts and ideas but with all that is and has been I just feel completely worthless, useless and unnecessary as an Engineer. I started out wanting to make a difference in Jamaica, now all I want to do is pass my last 3 courses and run as far away from Engineering as possible... I am genuinely heart-broken at the thought of it all and I was so close to giving up. But thank you... Thank you sooooooo much Debbie, for this presentation and for pushing through till it happened. And thank you for sharing this journey and experience with the wider world... I needed to hear this; I really needed to see this and I will no longer negate myself or compare myself to the male engineers... I will work harder and I will pursue my business ideas and I will try and I will not give up... I will honestly admit I am still terrified... but thank you sooo much for hope. God bless you Love!
S Mckenzie You will make it Sis...Just dont give up !!! All the best !!! By the way, the Wifi technology you are using first invented by a Women who was an engineer cum actress !!! Hardy Lemar !!! The first computer program was developed by a Woman, also known as the Mother of Computer programming - Ada Lovlace...and many more...Say thanks to them and move on !!! You go Girl !!!
Im currently in college pursuing an electrical engineering degree. I have the same feelings. I am constantly doubting my self. It always seems like everyone else in class is understanding except me. I try so hard and barely make it. I wonder if I'm just setting my self up for failure. Like what am I doing to myself? Is this worth it in the end? Will i make it to the end? This video really touched me and made me understand that we can do this! So what if we are the only girls. So what if we don't do it right the first time. Let's keep going and not give up.
Don't Dare Give Up! Right Now I'm Counting On You Not Giving Up, I too Needed to Hear Someone Who Is Far Away from Africa Who Feels Has To Give Up But Doesn't, Because If You Don't Give Up, I Won't Give Up, We Won't Give Up! I hope You Didn't Give Up! Wish You Good Health And Success.
you gonna make it! There are so many jobs that require engineering skills but are not pure engineering, so many opportunities. You can always do you masters in some management and become a manager with an engineering background. But there is no way a manager could easily become an engineer. I wish my bachelor was in engineering, but I did management. Not easy to learn tech from scratch in my 30th. With love from Ukraine
Hi lovely lady, I’m watching this video in at the end of 2018 and reading your story had me crying to be honest. I am currently in my final year of high school and trying to push hard so that my results will get me in for chemical engineering, and can’t help think of all the ways I could never succeed in engineering. I was wondering how you are doing now, whether you finished your degree and what you have been up to. I wish you all the best in your endeavors and stay strong and determined!
When my mom suggested to me to become a civil engineer I pictured myself this strong smart woman in suits designing beautiful constructions visiting the site and giving instructions to the workers. It sounded pretty amazing as a girl who will be doing such things. And right now I'm on the path to become an engineer but sometimes I really do feel lonely and discouraged though. These kind of talks really inspire and sharpen me a lot! Thank you so much. And what you are doing right now is so great Debbie!
This is seriously AH.... MAZING. I am studying petroleum engineering. I am in my First year and guys in my department really treat us 2 girls like dirt... literal dirt! But i will never give up I KNOW I WILL BECOME A PETROLEUM ENGINEER. Please pray for me 😇
I saw this video, and went out and ordered Goldieblox for my daughter, who has been using modelling clay, straws, toothpicks and bottle-caps to build things for the past year. Now she's going to have more toys that she can build with.
I'm a teenage girl and I want to become an engineer. Never have I thought "it's boys' thing, I can't do that!". Edit: not a teenage girl any more and this year I am graduating with a bachelors in electronic engineering :)
Corvus, I wish you all the best !!! Talent is created not inherited !!! Ignore the crabs and haters...Just go for it and work hard....Dont worry, Hard work is the key to success...All the best upcoming engineer !!! Its just your strong decision that will make you an engineer thats it...I am 29 year old guy from Taiwan, And I am telling it to you from my personnel experiences sis..I have seen my fellow female classmates who choosed to be civil, mechanical, software, electrical engineers and they are there now grabbing the top jobs in govt. as well as private sectors !!! There were fewer girls (around 35%) girls in those engineering classrooms not because they couldnt get into them, but because most girls just choosed to be doctors and lawyers instead of engineers...It was just about there choice, but those girls who comprised 35% of the engineering classrooms were often the top rank holders in those engineering batches...So, its all about you...If you are making the choice and working enough for it, you will surely make it sis...Wish you all the best !!! You Go Girl !!!
Wow Amlan, thank you so much for those kind words! This definitely encourages me! I'll try my best to become a great engineer :) It's usually not expected to meet someone so nice on the internet. Thank you so, so much
+Corvus Corax Well good luck, and I'll add that you should never listen to people saying STEM is sexist and is against women. It all comes down to choice and all you need to succeed is the brains and most of all hard work.
As someone who owns an engineering company, I've personally seen and experienced men trying to discourage determined, capable women from entering/staying in the industry. I think, some men base their masculinity by being in this industry and feel insulted that women can work in the same industry.
So true I was discouraged by men too. They arent willing to help and pick on you for not knowing stuff that they learnt by communicating with their friends.
@@pinkchalk4888 If I was an engeineer I would team up with you, for me is not about who does what, is about how you treat people, the determination of working, and what works for you!
I didn't trade in my humanity when I became and engineer, and neither has my daughter. She just finished her senior year at Colorado School of Mines as an EE. I'm a very proud dad, she's still very much a young woman, beautiful, empathetic and smart. She'll make a great employee, business owner, what ever she chooses as well as a great mother and wife (someday but not too soon). I manage engineers these days and personally, I WANT women engineers on my teams. They're motivated, talented and more willing to push through the grunt work to get things done right than egotistical testosterone driven male geeks. Engineering, big time engineering is a team sport and frankly, male engineers don't always play together well but throw a woman or two on the team, and everyone behaves. You go Debbie - show the world (at least America) that women make great engineers. My daughter will be right behind you.
This is old comment, don't know if you might see it, but your comment made my eyes watery, i bet your daughter is all of those wonderful things because she has a wonderful loving father like you.
This really inspired me... I am doing my first year in computer systems engineering. Just 4 girls out of 17 boys.. I am never giving up. Its hard but worth it
i'm a female computer science engineer and this was the most emotional ted talk i've ever watched! sooo important, this is such a huge issue, thank you for addressing it. really struck a chord with me
@Cindy Boa In US women are given preference over men by 2:1. In india women engineer is very normal while western women are much more privileged yet do not choose STEM field, may be white women do not want such hard life.
@EmMy Tech field has so many Asian girls. I personally know many female colleagues who is doing excellent job and they are never discouraged or treated differently. Some guys can be creep/rude for attention but very few are like that.
I've been an engineer since 1980 (mechanical/aeronautical engineering). I have loved every second of it (mostly). I credit my parents, who attended perfectly to my nerd-child self. They never told me it was crazy to want to be an astronaut (I got a GI Joe and Mercury space capsule that year for Christmas), and never told me math and science was just for boys. They got me that first telescope, microscope, chemistry set, stamp collection. We even got lincoln logs! Oh, and I think it helped that I had no brothers. It really is small things like that, which are really big things, that made me an engineer. My first job was with NASA Langley and my first boss was a woman (an expert in high angle of attack flight stability and control). I had and still have so many female colleagues. I feel very fortunate. I say to "up and coming" engineers work hard, because it is hard, don't listen to the negative voices, prove them wrong and have a great time. Engineering is such a fun and creative path.
Here in the arab world it's very common for a woman to be an engineer.. Literally all of my female cousins have degrees in engineering and I'm going to major engineering soon too
Here, we are missing tinker bell. She is the coolest fairy that made me collect everything about her in my room. And inspired me build my own tree house, baskets, unicycle and other small crafts. I am 15 years now and am grown up by opening machines and wondering what would make them do their work. I feel blessed after watching this video that my family has been very supportive. Thank you so much
This video touched my heart, I am in my first year in mechanical engineering and I know what she means by, by saying how you have this feeling that you just don't fit. Its true to said that most of your male classmates are always talking to you like if the only job you are capable of as a woman is as a housewife and is very sad. I am glad to said that we are at least ten females in my engineering class which is more than there were in the past years. Good for her and her duty to promote engineering for girls! We need more women in engineering!
I am a male who choose to change from being an engineer to being a early childhood teacher when I turned 50. Everyday I tell all the children I care for that they are engineers, scientists, botanists, physicists, doctors, and many more labels. I applied these labels to all the children my care. The labels I applied reflected the dispositions these children displayed. So many children are awesome scientists and engineers. Both girls and boys.
thundernegro Has nothing to do with my comment which you are conveniently avoiding. Or perhaps you do agree with blaming all your problems on white men.
You've just assumed a whole lot, my friend. Not going to answer your comment.Just pointing out your saltiness. You can take it as an opportunity to look at yourself.
As I sit on the floor, struggling to complete my workload from my pre-engineering course, at the same time questioning if choosing engineering was my biggest mistake, I stumbled upon this video. Honestly not that big of an impact, just found myself crying at the 15th minute mark. Thank you Debbie, for reminding me that anyone, including girls, and especially girls, have the potential to be a part of the future.
I remember my first class of calculus in university (this is in mexico), out of 35 on the class we were only two girls there and feel intimidated but something our director of the faculty said "Don't give up girls, every year more girls are graduating than the past year and only 10% of the girls who enter the faculty drop out so go out there All of you and be proud of yourselves"
I was the girl who played with my brother's legos and ignored my barbies. I loved my college engineering classes. But I was always one of a few girls in those classes, sometimes the only one. It makes me happy that my little girl might have a different experience one day.
I can definitely relate to the interest in legos, do you think your interest was down to cultural/social conditioning or something else? I often hear feminists say its all down to parental/social expectations (i.e. da pear-tree-arky) but I remain skeptical.
methylene5 idk. I grew up north of miami, in the suburbs. My dad worked as a technician with ibm, so technology was always around, even in the early 80's in our house. I just found dolls boring, you couldnt do as much, but i wouldnt call myself a feminist. I loved being a princess, and my favorite color is still pink. I didnt have lego because it wasnt a cultural norm.
Sarah Gustafson I agree with your prior statement. But you can still be a feminist and love the color pink and like being a princess. SMH, I do not understand some people....
I can't explain how much inspired I am after listening to her speech!! I am from India where engineering is a pretty common degree for boys. I had appeared for engineering entrance exam and scored less due to my disinterest in that field. I had the exact same thoughts that she had! Well now that I have luckily managed to get a college with a suitable branch, this was the inspiration I needed. I am determined to make it in the technology world!!!
1:27 Me: Yes, I am an Engineer. Other People: No way, you are? I'm a 24 year old Geomatics Engineer. Salute to all the women in the Engineering Field. We are the beautiful minority.
People say "No way, you are?" because the Engineer field has a very little amount of people in general. Being an engineer in general for men and woman is a big thing and it will be surprising to find out your friend is someone who works in a field that basically changes the world. Even if a male said they were a engineer, I would be surprised because if the male doesn't look nerdy or smart I'll just think "oh a normal citizen" but if he tells me about his field I would be like "Woah, really?!".
This presentation is absolutely fascinating and an 'eye opener' for stereotypes. I would like to see much more female participation in the field of engineering and sciences. Debbie set a great example for aspiring girls to emulate her success and make their lives valuable by positive contribution. Move on girls!
This was such a heartfelt Ted talk & really hit home for me as an industrial engineer in my senior year. Especially personally this week because I have dealt my whole college life with doubters and disbelievers in my intelligence and diligence & to realize I'm not alone in feeling alone was very awakening and motivating. I'm so inspired to inspire young females to dare to challenge societal pressures and expectations and open the minds of the close minded. An engineer once asked me what it was like to be in a "mans world" and I replied with "I'm used to it and it's not a mans world, it's our world"
LOL why does people have to criticize everything? I'm just admiring her and stating that she's also beautiful because not everyone has the "whole package" like she does. You need to either be naturally gifted or put in a lot of effort to attain these things. I'm inspired because she breaks stereotypes such as girls cannot be engineers/be good at math and of course that stereotype is used even more to judge pretty girls in a society where pretty girls are encouraged to become models or celebrities.
I teared up watching this. I think Debbie's story is just so incredibly inspirational. She is an incredible role model not only to the little girls she reaches through GoldieBlox, but also to young women everywhere who want to break ground in education. I hope to someday contribute to the effort to design innovative media that helps empower girls to dream big and know that they can accomplish great things.
This helped me a lot. I am in my 3rd year studying electrical engineering and I must say that I have never being motivated to push forward, graduate and show the world what I got. ❤️
I don't know why i cried after watching this. Maybe because i feel what she felt during the times she almost give up because of the peer pressure and perspective of other people. But i kept saying to myself that i am worthy of being successful engineer. Truly this makes me more appreciate what girls can do. ❤
This is incredible. I've been a STEM nerd/lover since at least 6th grade. My favorite toys were ALWAYS LEGOs. With my younger brother, I made his first LEGO for him. My dad's an engineer and even if he didn't have a daughter he would be interested in getting more women into STEM careers (but he does so he's even more interested). I've designed websites that are online and live, and my dad's going to find a website or class or something to teach me how to code. My dream school is MIT and I'm only in 8th grade! Math (and Science) have always been my favorite subjects and I want to grow up to change the world.
I recently switched my major to computer science, and I can resonate well with what she is saying. I needed to hear these words of encouragement from someone like her so much. ♡
I had an aunt who, when I told her I wanted to study engineering, she said "Why? Nobody wants to be an engineer". Luckily the woman sitting next to me was an engineer, and she gave my aunt an earful. :)
This is a great video. As a female engineer I run into all of these struggles on a daily basis. I also had a hard time learning spatial skills and struggled in drawing/CAD class. GoldieBlox is a great first step to helping get more girls interested in engineering and build their confidence in STEM.
Que precioso discurso! Soy peruana, y actualmente estudio ingeniería, y en mi promoción, tan solo somos 10 chicas frente a 90 varones, tan solo el 10% de mujeres valientes y retadoras, cabe recalcar el 1er puesto también es una mujer, tu historia y tu legado me encanta, marcas la diferencia frente a esta sociedad. Saludos de Peru, para ti Debby, eres inspiración! 💕
Her speech got me through the toughest parts of my engineering student life. I'll be graduating next semester and I'm super excited for what's to come!
this hit home....i can't control my tears.. i always wanted to be a princess when i was a little girl but i also wanted to be someone who would invent new things(specially toys) but now when i'm half way through my degree i feel the same way you did, "i don't fit in". thank you for this speech, very inspiring. i won't give up!
Most female engineers I work with are not native USA. Austrian, russian, chinese, japanese, indian. I think its more about US women (or western women), than it is about female engineers. Now that I mention it, I've never actually worked with a western female engineer, ever.
***** On the subject of women from more oppressive countries being more likely to go into STEM fields, I think we in the west perceive this as a dichotomy due to differences in cultural perceptions. We think it strange that a country like India, where boys are favored over girls, and sexual harassment on the street is a big problem, they would elect a female prime minister, while they think it strange that in such an egalitarian country like America (as compared to their own), we have yet to elect a female president. But attributes associated with positions of authority in the west are also attributes associated with masculinity. Bold, direct, take charge, assertive, confident. While in India, attributes associated with leadership are not necessarily attributes typically associated with masculinity. Likewise, in these countries, being an engineer is not necessarily seen as a "male" thing. It's seen as a practical thing.
Women make their own decision not to go into theses kinds of majors they tend to chose more safe majors. And than they blame "patriarchy" and "sexism" and "oppression" when it's all their personal choice. Women must become more assertive and demanding in these things. If we want it will GET it. We have every right and freedom to do so :) Btw I'm an egalitarian and I'm only focusing on the western countries
I'm a guy and I played Barbie doll when I was a kid. But I chose electrical engineering to be my major while I was in college. And now I'm a engineer. Hahaha. I still think Barbie dolls are pretty. What's wrong with guys playing Barbie?
I agree fully! it bothers me when a little boy can't even hold a doll because "that's a toy for girls!". "play with toy guns instead!". I don't think toys have any gender
***** I never understood how it impacted children's views. to me, since it was a white Barbie doll, I never associated it to be something that I should strive for since I'm Asian. it was a cartoon, why would I want to look like a toy? idk I don't understand that mentality >.>
I cried so badly today. I am from India , a girl coming from a lower middle class family. And I dream of becoming a Mechanical Engineer. But I am not good at Maths and Physics as other students are who want to take engineering. But I love the science behind machines. But due to being weak at Maths and Physics I decided to quit engineering . I am in class 12 now , I will work damn hard to improve myself Physics and Maths , and one day will crack the engineering entrance exam and will Definitely go into engineering. Believe in yourself girl , you can definitely do it!!!! 👍All the very best to the Female Engineers here ❤️no matter how difficult it is we can and we will do !!
I want to be a biomedical engineer. This video has helped me so much. I’m only 14 but it’s been my dream for about a year now. I hope one day I will be as successful and brave as this woman 💓
I’ve been a civil engineer for almost 13 years now. Currently Studying computer programming to change careers. I’m still happy I chose an Engineering degree. When I told my mother I was going to major in Engineering, she told me I couldn’t do it. No matter who tries to hold you back, do not let them. If anyone is negative towards you, it’s their issue not yours.
Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story of yours. I am a Filipina, STEM student and I, honestly, doubting myself if I will excel in this field, but hearing your story it enlighten my spirit. It really just need a lot of hard work to pursue want you want and become who you wanna be. If you want to be an engineer, you can be an engineer! 💪👩🔬❤️
i'm a girl that grew up not only playing with dolls, but also constructing with lego and build-your-own train tracks :) and now i'm heading into the second year of my engineering bachelor. i'm so glad i was brought up with all different types of toys.
As a university professor in STEM education, this video and this story is shared over and over again in all of my classes. We need more Debbie Sterling's in the world.
I graduated as an electronics engineer in the 1970s when it was only 2% women, and have never regretted that choice. I'm passionate too about inspiring the next generation. Go for it, there is no limit to what you can achieve!
This is amazing, I am a 20 year old girl who had no clue what I wanted to do before last summer. I have always been a good student and I love to create things. Deciding on a major was difficult for me until I found the field of engineering. Although I am intimidated by the next few years in order to earn my degree by I am proud to say I am pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering, I would love to design medication one day. It is great to watch this video and know that I am not the only one who was intimidated but am still going through with it!
Watched this video 4 years ago and it was the start of me understanding what engineering is and recognizing I am good enough to be an engineer. Currently applying to Columbia for Environmental Engineering. Thank you.
I’m a senior in high school at an engineering charter school and this speech really empowered me. I really love STEM, and am trying to spread it though out my community. So far I have taken 5 engineering classes on a variety of subjects like architecture, electronics, machining, welding, physics and more! I have volunteered at STEM summer camps, and even joined my school’s robotics team- which I’m the president of! I also have an apprenticeship at a local factory, where I work with engineers, collaborate with people on the production floor and even solve problems I’m assigned using everything I’ve learned so far! I know so many other women and girls in STEM have struggled to get where they are now, but I haven’t had too much trouble. Maybe I’m just lucky, but I like to think that the world is finally seeing our potential:) I’m so excited for the future of women in STEM, and I can’t wait to be a part of it. We can do anything!!!
hello beautiful lady with a beautiful smile how are you doing, it is nice to meet you you are so beautiful, oh my god you have a lovely face i hope we can be friends
I am a girl in 6th Grade who is interested in STEM. Whenever I tell people that, they are extremely surprised! Unfortunately, there aren't many STEM programs available for Middle Schoolers, (6,7,8 grades) but there are many for High School, (grades 9,10,11) and can't wait to get there! After watching this video, you inspired me to pursue my dream and be persistent. Thank you. My dream Job is to be some kind of Doctor that works with kids and engineering!!! Can't Wait!!!
Thank you so much for this talk! I’m a civil/structural engineer, graduated from a top engineering university in 70’s in Istanbul, Turkey . One of the five girls in 200 boys in the classroom and only the girl in the graduate school in Structural Engineering program.I didn’t fit in either throughout my career in a male dominated field of engineering in the US. You expressed so well how I felt during those 40 years that I worked as a civil engineer and a project manager in NY and NJ, thank you !!! Congratulations on your success !!.
Boys and girls should try every type of toy so they can have a broad knowledge so they have more options when taking important decisions, and we shouldn't judge if a boy wants to play with dolls, for example. That's the message not any of the conspiranoic statements some people make.
This is such a beautiful story. I was almost in tears. I'm pursuing a career in engineering as well and even as a guy i don't know if engineering is welcoming for everyone. However it is true that the presence of women is quite shocking.
I am studying electrical engineering now, and god knows how hard it is when everyone around me especially boys, are so smart in everything. Your story lifts my spirit, I would like to say thank you. I hope I can be like you when I graduate.
This video made me cry, and as I looked through the comment section I began to cry even more. As a first year female engineering student from the United States, I resonate with Debbie on a deep level. Of course, it is 2019 and there is a more inclusive attitude in STEM nowadays, but that has not yet remedied the systemic discouragement that I experienced as a child. Some of my happiest memories are of the creations I made with things that I found outside or around the house, but some of my saddest memories are of peers and authority figures stopping me in my tracks and steering me towards a more traditionally feminine path. Up until 2.5 years ago, I thought I would be a freelance artist because I felt a passion for creativity but never had the encouragement to give it a direction. That all changed with the help of a couple amazing teachers that both challenged and inspired me, but most importantly, treated me like any other student- not just a girl. I struggle with math, but that does NOT mean I will always struggle. Debbie strikes a profound point in her speech when she says that it's not about how smart you are, it's about how hard you work. No one is born an engineer, and no one grows up the same way. No matter where you come from, who you are, or how little you have, you will always have the potential to move forward.
100% sounds like something my daughter would LOVE! She is always building and making things out of boxes and tape and paper and pretty much anything she can get her hands on.
So Inspiring! I cried at the end of this, wasn't expecting to be emotional over this topic. I am doing research for my English Comp class and I chose "Girls in STEM". I am really enjoying finding all the research for this topic and dreaming of the kind of role model and teacher I can become after I complete my degree! I just bought our first GoldieBlox toy from Amazon for my 5 year old daughter. So excited for it to arrive! Thank you for sharing this amazing story with the world Debbie!
I’m currently studying engineering right now and this honestly gave me the motivation to finish the rest of the semester. It’s so incredibly easy to feel defeated in this field, especially as a woman, but that’s all the more reason to not give up!
My grandma told me if you had been born today, she would have studied Mechanical Engineering. Something that even my father didn’t know. I guess there are secrets that grandmas only tell their grandchildren. My father and I are both engineers. I have always had this feeling that in the engineering world there is a lack of balance between the number of men and women. I have worked with engineering women. My respect, they are so smart!! I also have the story that once in an airport while we waited. I had the opportunity to chat with a man that told me that his daughter wanted to study mechanical engineering, so we chatted about it. I don’t think I told him about my grandma, but at the end of the conversation he made the comment that he was going to support his daughter to study mechanical engineering.
As she says women have a different perspective. In a field such as engineering where innovative ideas and thinking outside the norm is so rewarded there should be a definite demand for girls to have an equal chance for an engineering career.
i am going into biomedical engineering this year. I hope after some years from now I am able to say I have positively influenced people's lives like Debbie has
My parents gave my brother all the next latest and greatest electronics that were coming out during early 2000s and they use to give me all the pretty dolls and role play toys typical for girls. They thought he was going to be a programmer cuz he played a lot of computer games but he decided to major in art and I majored in computer science lol! I didn't even know I liked programming until I took an intro cs course during my senior year of high school. I always knew I had kind of an engineering mentality growing up because I liked taking scraps from the recycling bin and building random things from it. I even made houses for my dolls and ignored the store bought doll house my parents gave to me for my birthday. This really inspires and reassures me that I'm making the right choices for my path. I might even consider after i complete my computer science degree to go pursue engineering as well.
Don't feel disappointed girl. I did electronics engineering too, I can feel the pain ,despair ,struggles that female engineers go through .Coz I have got personally my shares of struggles too.
I am so happy that I ended up looking up videos for engineering majors. I'm definitely not Stanford level but I am extremely nervous because I am majoring in Engineering. I am grateful to have come across this video.
@@zerahgeorge hey I’m a new female engineer major too (freshman lol) how do u handle all the hard classes that come with being an engineer major I’m so scared I’ll fail and have been thinking of changing my major 😔
@@ldive I have this same problem. I don't know if I will make it. I am not sure if I can retain all of that information long-term. I am scared of going into engineering.
What an inspiring talk - not just for engineers or aspiring engineers, but for anyone who dreams of doing something that interests them. Thanks, Debbie. It can be done!
bachelor of science in civil engineering currently on my sophomore year and tbh, i dont fit in and i am on the verge of giving up but hey thanks you have inspired me to do better and become the civil engineer i aspired to be!!
I was inspired since always since wen I was 10/11, I close my eyes I see me myself as an engineer & never changed my mind still now I'm college after a few I will go to Uni. Never ever I will give up to engineering
Word for word, this is exactly what I needed. There were so many parallels in my thinking process and hers in considering majoring in engineering, but now I have tons of clarity. I can't even thank you enough!
Thank you for this inspiring speech. First year biomedical engineering student. And I LOVE this faculty so far. I wouldn’t even consider engineering if I never watched this video. Can’t express how thankful I am
This Tex talk has me crying, omg. I'm a chemical engineering major, graduating fall 2019. I love this so much! I absolutely love hearing from other women engineers. My boyfriend's mom is actually an electrical engineer who works on autonomous vehicles, and she's brilliant.
I just wanted to send you (i.e. Debbie) a word of encouragement, congratulate you on your current success and wish you even more success in the future. I plan on buying at least one GoldieBlox toy for my daughter for Christmas. I showed her the video and she thought it was cool. I think the time for you idea has come. I plan on playing with my daughter and the GoldieBlox toy because I think it will encourage her as well as help her enjoy it more. Even if she does nothing in the engineering field I think this will be great for her in general and broaden her mind. I love your idea of having a verbal component to the construction set. Girls do tend to be better at verbal skills, they tend to use them more frequently (i.e. yes statistically girls talk more than guys), and verbalizing ideas helps everyone not just girls. For future ideas think about adding more social aspects to one or more toys. Perhaps something that allowed two girls to work on a project at the same time. Perhaps you've already thought of this? I'll have to see once I get the toy. Thank you for creating these toys.
Watching this video just made my day. I'm planning on being a software engineer and was scared about how hard it is and how girls can't be in that field and all that. But right now, I feel so excited on taking such a wonderful major! I am going to work hard and make myself proud of the woman I am becoming!
hello beautiful lady with a beautiful smile how are you doing, it is nice to meet you you are so beautiful, oh my god you have a lovely face i hope we can be friends
This is the best speech I’ve ever heard! So inspirational! I’m 14 and I want to be an engineer. I dropped Drama for product design a few months ago and it was the best decision I ever made! It’s now my favourite subject! But I’m in a class of about 20-25 and there’s only 2 girls (that’s including me)
Debbie, you rock! I have shared this video with my younger sister who is also pursuing a career in the tech industry just like me. I have struggled, but I am putting in the time and effort, and I am confident that I can learn anything. So far I am doing good and have enjoyed every single one of my classes. You have inspired me to keep trying my best. My sister looks up to me as the role model I never had. Your speech has touched my heart. Now, I look up to you and congratulate you for all you have achieved so far. I truly respect and admire your dedication and passion for your career. Thank you for inspiring me and our little girls. ❤️
I am so grateful to live in an environment where I rarely get to hear things like "engineering is not for women". When I was little, I didn't want to be a princess. I saw those barbie toys & games, & thought of gaining the same independence,that mansion ,that car that barbie had. I am grateful that rather than calling me a princess, my mom called me an angel who had the potential to create miracles. This year on, I am going to do computer science from Canada & hope that I can be as awesome, hard-working & determined as this lady.
i have always wanted to go into engineering because my dad told me that but i really didn't know what it was and know i really want to do it. I am eleven and i and really inspired already… Thanx
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My grandma was in the military. My aunt is a doctor. My mom is a University professor. My older sister is an architect. I want to be a video game developer. I'm so proud to be in a family of intellectual and accomplished black women.
Good for you, I hope you become a successful game developer. :)
finally a positive comment that isn't sarcasm or bitching.
it doesn't matter what your family does when you want to make a career for yourself. what matters is what you can or will do. you're in no better position then the one who comes from a poor family and also wanting to be a video game developer.
Fate Kyougo I never said or implied that I was better than anyone. My commment was just to show that women can be anything they want to be. Don't assume things.
That is impossible. Girls can't do math!
The student's failure to learn is really the teacher's failure to teach.
I saw this video 4 years ago. And now Its my last year of civil engineering. Thank you
Omgg how is it ? I’m gonna start next year,any tips and advise?
Uhulll 👏👏👏👏 Congrats
Ilhaaan Mubarak. Just dont give up.
@@Sara_suu hi i have a question, did you have to build projects during Civil engineering school? also congratulations!
hello beautiful woman with a beautiful smile how are you doing
This woman is a genius. What a great speech, every girl who wants to go into a STEM subject should watch this.
+Stephanie Smith Where is the video addressing the low percent of men in nursing? Oh wait I forgot feminist logic; discrimination against women = sexist discrimination again men = equal opportunity.
akinadownhillace There are scholarships just for men to apply to nursing, just as there are scholarships for women to get into engineering. Also, I'm not a feminist. Good try, though.
Honestly your comment is just about as whiny as the feminists'.
+akinadownhillace salary of nurses- $65,470 VS salary of a mechanical engineer- $80,580, salary of computer programmer- $74, 280
Source?
@@akinadownhillace if you're passionate about it give a Ted talk yourself. No need to put other people down to bring something that you think is important to light. Minorities in any field should be taken seriously!
"Engineering is for people"
I remember my intern days, the head of the department would always say "even your grandma is an engineer. She solves everything in her daily chores by her own. She uses logic. And that's engineering. Be like her. Dont just study books and pass the exams"
And that quote impacts me right til this day :D
@Nabila what kind of engineering did you go to school for? If you don't mind me asking.
Wow! This changed my viewpoint of engineering! Can I share your comment?
@@babaandammijanskitchen4966 sure!
@@KaRiNa-pj9sb mechatronics :)
I don't think that's engineering
This made me cry so much... I'm a Jamaican, female, Chemical Engineering student, struggling sooooo hard to find the zeal to continue to pursue this degree. I am the only one in my entire family that has pursued an Engineering degree and that fact alongside being a female and being Caribbean has made me feel soooooo lonely for soooo long. I feel like I don't fit in, and I probably never will. On top of that, I've failed 5 key modules and as such I have to spend an extra year? Can I catch up? Will I ever be good enough? Will I be hired in Jamaica much less anywhere else? Do I have something to contribute to the world?What am I doing and why am I here? I have sooo many dreams and concepts and ideas but with all that is and has been I just feel completely worthless, useless and unnecessary as an Engineer. I started out wanting to make a difference in Jamaica, now all I want to do is pass my last 3 courses and run as far away from Engineering as possible... I am genuinely heart-broken at the thought of it all and I was so close to giving up. But thank you... Thank you sooooooo much Debbie, for this presentation and for pushing through till it happened. And thank you for sharing this journey and experience with the wider world... I needed to hear this; I really needed to see this and I will no longer negate myself or compare myself to the male engineers... I will work harder and I will pursue my business ideas and I will try and I will not give up... I will honestly admit I am still terrified... but thank you sooo much for hope. God bless you Love!
S Mckenzie You will make it Sis...Just dont give up !!! All the best !!! By the way, the Wifi technology you are using first invented by a Women who was an engineer cum actress !!! Hardy Lemar !!! The first computer program was developed by a Woman, also known as the Mother of Computer programming - Ada Lovlace...and many more...Say thanks to them and move on !!! You go Girl !!!
Im currently in college pursuing an electrical engineering degree. I have the same feelings. I am constantly doubting my self. It always seems like everyone else in class is understanding except me. I try so hard and barely make it. I wonder if I'm just setting my self up for failure. Like what am I doing to myself? Is this worth it in the end? Will i make it to the end? This video really touched me and made me understand that we can do this! So what if we are the only girls. So what if we don't do it right the first time. Let's keep going and not give up.
Don't Dare Give Up! Right Now I'm Counting On You Not Giving Up, I too Needed to Hear Someone Who Is Far Away from Africa Who Feels Has To Give Up But Doesn't, Because If You Don't Give Up, I Won't Give Up, We Won't Give Up!
I hope You Didn't Give Up!
Wish You Good Health And Success.
you gonna make it! There are so many jobs that require engineering skills but are not pure engineering, so many opportunities. You can always do you masters in some management and become a manager with an engineering background. But there is no way a manager could easily become an engineer. I wish my bachelor was in engineering, but I did management. Not easy to learn tech from scratch in my 30th. With love from Ukraine
Hi lovely lady, I’m watching this video in at the end of 2018 and reading your story had me crying to be honest. I am currently in my final year of high school and trying to push hard so that my results will get me in for chemical engineering, and can’t help think of all the ways I could never succeed in engineering. I was wondering how you are doing now, whether you finished your degree and what you have been up to. I wish you all the best in your endeavors and stay strong and determined!
When my mom suggested to me to become a civil engineer I pictured myself this strong smart woman in suits designing beautiful constructions visiting the site and giving instructions to the workers. It sounded pretty amazing as a girl who will be doing such things. And right now I'm on the path to become an engineer but sometimes I really do feel lonely and discouraged though. These kind of talks really inspire and sharpen me a lot! Thank you so much. And what you are doing right now is so great Debbie!
I wanna be a civil engineer too. You're not alone! Go ahead. You can do it 🐛🌼
Амжилт хүсье :)
IAM a girl studying software engineering
I'm about to start my career in civil engineering in a few months! you can do it :)
Yeahh....you are probally gonna stuck in an office stuck doing paperwork.
With only 2 weeks of vacation and probally getting paid 50k before taxes
This is seriously AH.... MAZING. I am studying petroleum engineering. I am in my First year and guys in my department really treat us 2 girls like dirt... literal dirt!
But i will never give up I KNOW I WILL BECOME A PETROLEUM ENGINEER. Please pray for me 😇
How did it go?? Please don't give up!
I just said a little prayer ✊🏾
please don't give up. its worth it.
Do your best!
PETROLEUM Engineering now
that's too far
I saw this video, and went out and ordered Goldieblox for my daughter, who has been using modelling clay, straws, toothpicks and bottle-caps to build things for the past year. Now she's going to have more toys that she can build with.
Lee Carlson as an engineer-in-the-making, I am so glad to hear your daughter do that! I just used to use paper mache
Beautiful
I'm a teenage girl and I want to become an engineer. Never have I thought "it's boys' thing, I can't do that!".
Edit: not a teenage girl any more and this year I am graduating with a bachelors in electronic engineering :)
Corvus Corax why do you think it's so amazing that you're a female and you're wanting to be wanting to be an engineer
Corvus, I wish you all the best !!! Talent is created not inherited !!! Ignore the crabs and haters...Just go for it and work hard....Dont worry, Hard work is the key to success...All the best upcoming engineer !!! Its just your strong decision that will make you an engineer thats it...I am 29 year old guy from Taiwan, And I am telling it to you from my personnel experiences sis..I have seen my fellow female classmates who choosed to be civil, mechanical, software, electrical engineers and they are there now grabbing the top jobs in govt. as well as private sectors !!! There were fewer girls (around 35%) girls in those engineering classrooms not because they couldnt get into them, but because most girls just choosed to be doctors and lawyers instead of engineers...It was just about there choice, but those girls who comprised 35% of the engineering classrooms were often the top rank holders in those engineering batches...So, its all about you...If you are making the choice and working enough for it, you will surely make it sis...Wish you all the best !!! You Go Girl !!!
Wow Amlan, thank you so much for those kind words! This definitely encourages me! I'll try my best to become a great engineer :) It's usually not expected to meet someone so nice on the internet. Thank you so, so much
Thanks and same to you...My best wishes to you Sis...Take care and Study hard...Dont worry, you will make !!! All the best !!!
+Corvus Corax Well good luck, and I'll add that you should never listen to people saying STEM is sexist and is against women. It all comes down to choice and all you need to succeed is the brains and most of all hard work.
How many female engineers are here? Hit like if you feel proud!
Polymer & petrochemical engineer from NED proud to be an Female Engineer now doin master in engineering😇
Civil Engineer from U.K
I'm a math major
Mechanical engineer from Kuwait
Power Plant Engineering college student from Philippines and I'm proud☺️
As someone who owns an engineering company, I've personally seen and experienced men trying to discourage determined, capable women from entering/staying in the industry. I think, some men base their masculinity by being in this industry and feel insulted that women can work in the same industry.
So true I was discouraged by men too. They arent willing to help and pick on you for not knowing stuff that they learnt by communicating with their friends.
@@pinkchalk4888 If I was an engeineer I would team up with you, for me is not about who does what, is about how you treat people, the determination of working, and what works for you!
It is sad not everyone thinks in the same way
@@pinkchalk4888 Yeah many people have huge egos!!
@@pinkchalk4888 I hope you succeed! Good luck to you and all the women out there!
I didn't trade in my humanity when I became and engineer, and neither has my daughter. She just finished her senior year at Colorado School of Mines as an EE. I'm a very proud dad, she's still very much a young woman, beautiful, empathetic and smart. She'll make a great employee, business owner, what ever she chooses as well as a great mother and wife (someday but not too soon). I manage engineers these days and personally, I WANT women engineers on my teams. They're motivated, talented and more willing to push through the grunt work to get things done right than egotistical testosterone driven male geeks. Engineering, big time engineering is a team sport and frankly, male engineers don't always play together well but throw a woman or two on the team, and everyone behaves.
You go Debbie - show the world (at least America) that women make great engineers. My daughter will be right behind you.
Thats so sweet!!!!
Thank you so much
This is old comment, don't know if you might see it, but your comment made my eyes watery, i bet your daughter is all of those wonderful things because she has a wonderful loving father like you.
That's so beautiful. I hope that I'll find employers like you when I enter the biomed engineering world...
gah this is beautiful
This really inspired me... I am doing my first year in computer systems engineering. Just 4 girls out of 17 boys.. I am never giving up. Its hard but worth it
You can do it Lavender. I am also an engineering student in my 3rd year.❤️👍🏽
That means it is getting better. Closer to 20% - still bad but improvement, push on!
> 4 girls out of 17 boys
Out of the 17 boys, four of them are girls? :p
how are you now?
Sounds fun. How has the course been for you?
as a female future engineer on the verge of giving up, this is the motivation I've needed for a long time♡
same🥺
same hereee
Same 😣😣
How are you now?
If women are such amazing engineers...why do they ask their husbands to put the swingset together...or the desk they bought from wayfair? Seriously.
When she got to the part where she exceeded her goal, I literally cried. This is what our girls need! Thank you!
I cried too..ha ha
Please tell me that I'm not the only female adult who plans on buying this toy and playing with it myself?..
I'm a teenager and I love playing with GoldieBlox, so I think you're safe!
I just thought the same thing!
if i have enough money and resources i've already done it myself.
I might get it, lord it looks cool!
Your're not :)
I used to watch this as inspiration before joining engineering and now I'm already an engineer. I listen to her. She is such inspiration.
Update: I fulfilled my dream of studying in usa. I’m pursuing ms industrial engineering which I really enjoy to my core. I’m almost done two semester.
i'm a female computer science engineer and this was the most emotional ted talk i've ever watched! sooo important, this is such a huge issue, thank you for addressing it. really struck a chord with me
@Cindy Boa In US women are given preference over men by 2:1.
In india women engineer is very normal while western women are much more privileged yet do not choose STEM field, may be white women do not want such hard life.
@EmMy Tech field has so many Asian girls. I personally know many female colleagues who is doing excellent job and they are never discouraged or treated differently. Some guys can be creep/rude for attention but very few are like that.
I've been an engineer since 1980 (mechanical/aeronautical engineering). I have loved every second of it (mostly). I credit my parents, who attended perfectly to my nerd-child self. They never told me it was crazy to want to be an astronaut (I got a GI Joe and Mercury space capsule that year for Christmas), and never told me math and science was just for boys. They got me that first telescope, microscope, chemistry set, stamp collection. We even got lincoln logs! Oh, and I think it helped that I had no brothers.
It really is small things like that, which are really big things, that made me an engineer. My first job was with NASA Langley and my first boss was a woman (an expert in high angle of attack flight stability and control). I had and still have so many female colleagues. I feel very fortunate. I say to "up and coming" engineers work hard, because it is hard, don't listen to the negative voices, prove them wrong and have a great time. Engineering is such a fun and creative path.
Here in the arab world it's very common for a woman to be an engineer.. Literally all of my female cousins have degrees in engineering and I'm going to major engineering soon too
Ikr ? I think it is more a problem in the west.
Ps: I am in my 3rd year of engineering
Yes it's common in the middle east, but not in my family, hopefully I'll be the first female engineer (IE)💪🏻
@@human2137 good luck ! You can do it 💙
What is weird about it is that countries with more gender equality generaly speaking have less women in stem fields..
Well...... that's great compared to the other part of the world
Here, we are missing tinker bell. She is the coolest fairy that made me collect everything about her in my room. And inspired me build my own tree house, baskets, unicycle and other small crafts. I am 15 years now and am grown up by opening machines and wondering what would make them do their work. I feel blessed after watching this video that my family has been very supportive. Thank you so much
Tinker Bell is the only blonde fictional character that impresses me. She is not stereotyped.
This video touched my heart, I am in my first year in mechanical engineering and I know what she means by, by saying how you have this feeling that you just don't fit. Its true to said that most of your male classmates are always talking to you like if the only job you are capable of as a woman is as a housewife and is very sad. I am glad to said that we are at least ten females in my engineering class which is more than there were in the past years. Good for her and her duty to promote engineering for girls! We need more women in engineering!
I am a male who choose to change from being an engineer to being a early childhood teacher when I turned 50. Everyday I tell all the children I care for that they are engineers, scientists, botanists, physicists, doctors, and many more labels. I applied these labels to all the children my care. The labels I applied reflected the dispositions these children displayed. So many children are awesome scientists and engineers. Both girls and boys.
+Patrick Barry That has nothing to do with the feminist propaganda of claiming the gender gap in technology is the fault of white men.
thundernegro Has nothing to do with my comment which you are conveniently avoiding. Or perhaps you do agree with blaming all your problems on white men.
You've just assumed a whole lot, my friend. Not going to answer your comment.Just pointing out your saltiness. You can take it as an opportunity to look at yourself.
thundernegro And likewise you do the same.
THIS is what this is all about! We need more people like you!
As I sit on the floor, struggling to complete my workload from my pre-engineering course, at the same time questioning if choosing engineering was my biggest mistake, I stumbled upon this video. Honestly not that big of an impact, just found myself crying at the 15th minute mark.
Thank you Debbie, for reminding me that anyone, including girls, and especially girls, have the potential to be a part of the future.
I remember my first class of calculus in university (this is in mexico), out of 35 on the class we were only two girls there and feel intimidated but something our director of the faculty said "Don't give up girls, every year more girls are graduating than the past year and only 10% of the girls who enter the faculty drop out so go out there All of you and be proud of yourselves"
I was the girl who played with my brother's legos and ignored my barbies. I loved my college engineering classes. But I was always one of a few girls in those classes, sometimes the only one. It makes me happy that my little girl might have a different experience one day.
I can definitely relate to the interest in legos, do you think your interest was down to cultural/social conditioning or something else?
I often hear feminists say its all down to parental/social expectations (i.e. da pear-tree-arky) but I remain skeptical.
methylene5 idk. I grew up north of miami, in the suburbs. My dad worked as a technician with ibm, so technology was always around, even in the early 80's in our house. I just found dolls boring, you couldnt do as much, but i wouldnt call myself a feminist. I loved being a princess, and my favorite color is still pink. I didnt have lego because it wasnt a cultural norm.
Sarah Gustafson I agree with your prior statement. But you can still be a feminist and love the color pink and like being a princess. SMH, I do not understand some people....
Same here
P
I can't explain how much inspired I am after listening to her speech!! I am from India where engineering is a pretty common degree for boys. I had appeared for engineering entrance exam and scored less due to my disinterest in that field. I had the exact same thoughts that she had! Well now that I have luckily managed to get a college with a suitable branch, this was the inspiration I needed. I am determined to make it in the technology world!!!
1:27
Me: Yes, I am an Engineer.
Other People: No way, you are?
I'm a 24 year old Geomatics Engineer. Salute to all the women in the Engineering Field. We are the beautiful minority.
Little Nini I am studying that Any advice? 🙃
People say "No way, you are?" because the Engineer field has a very little amount of people in general. Being an engineer in general for men and woman is a big thing and it will be surprising to find out your friend is someone who works in a field that basically changes the world.
Even if a male said they were a engineer, I would be surprised because if the male doesn't look nerdy or smart I'll just think "oh a normal citizen" but if he tells me about his field I would be like "Woah, really?!".
This presentation is absolutely fascinating and an 'eye opener' for stereotypes. I would like to see much more female participation in the field of engineering and sciences. Debbie set a great example for aspiring girls to emulate her success and make their lives valuable by positive contribution. Move on girls!
Yes
This was such a heartfelt Ted talk & really hit home for me as an industrial engineer in my senior year. Especially personally this week because I have dealt my whole college life with doubters and disbelievers in my intelligence and diligence & to realize I'm not alone in feeling alone was very awakening and motivating. I'm so inspired to inspire young females to dare to challenge societal pressures and expectations and open the minds of the close minded. An engineer once asked me what it was like to be in a "mans world" and I replied with "I'm used to it and it's not a mans world, it's our world"
She's intelligent and beautiful. This is really inspiring. I want to be a chemical engineer! :)
i can teach u if u wanna :D
LOL why does people have to criticize everything? I'm just admiring her and stating that she's also beautiful because not everyone has the "whole package" like she does. You need to either be naturally gifted or put in a lot of effort to attain these things. I'm inspired because she breaks stereotypes such as girls cannot be engineers/be good at math and of course that stereotype is used even more to judge pretty girls in a society where pretty girls are encouraged to become models or celebrities.
Even i want to be a chemical engineer
Sara Bushra me too!!
I love that job.
I teared up watching this. I think Debbie's story is just so incredibly inspirational. She is an incredible role model not only to the little girls she reaches through GoldieBlox, but also to young women everywhere who want to break ground in education. I hope to someday contribute to the effort to design innovative media that helps empower girls to dream big and know that they can accomplish great things.
Go back to the kitchen!!!
All of these males who are posting negative comments about female engineers are just intimidated lol
They fail in class
I'm intimidated by any engineer.
There is nothing about women that is intimidating.
Whatever helps you sleep at night.
Believe me there is everything about women that is intimidating
Being a female engineer myself, her speech brought me into tears! Really powerful story!!
This video made me cry, she is so strong for never give up
This helped me a lot. I am in my 3rd year studying electrical engineering and I must say that I have never being motivated to push forward, graduate and show the world what I got. ❤️
I don't know why i cried after watching this. Maybe because i feel what she felt during the times she almost give up because of the peer pressure and perspective of other people. But i kept saying to myself that i am worthy of being successful engineer. Truly this makes me more appreciate what girls can do. ❤
This is incredible. I've been a STEM nerd/lover since at least 6th grade. My favorite toys were ALWAYS LEGOs. With my younger brother, I made his first LEGO for him. My dad's an engineer and even if he didn't have a daughter he would be interested in getting more women into STEM careers (but he does so he's even more interested). I've designed websites that are online and live, and my dad's going to find a website or class or something to teach me how to code. My dream school is MIT and I'm only in 8th grade! Math (and Science) have always been my favorite subjects and I want to grow up to change the world.
you'll make it no doubt! you seem so passionate and hardworking, hopefully more girls are inspired as well. good luck!!!
Thanks! I certainly hope so!
That will do! You have such a passion girl. All the best! (:
Go ahead and change it!
Can we get a progress report on your journey? I would love to know!
I recently switched my major to computer science, and I can resonate well with what she is saying. I needed to hear these words of encouragement from someone like her so much. ♡
I had an aunt who, when I told her I wanted to study engineering, she said "Why? Nobody wants to be an engineer". Luckily the woman sitting next to me was an engineer, and she gave my aunt an earful. :)
This is a great video. As a female engineer I run into all of these struggles on a daily basis. I also had a hard time learning spatial skills and struggled in drawing/CAD class. GoldieBlox is a great first step to helping get more girls interested in engineering and build their confidence in STEM.
Que precioso discurso! Soy peruana, y actualmente estudio ingeniería, y en mi promoción, tan solo somos 10 chicas frente a 90 varones, tan solo el 10% de mujeres valientes y retadoras, cabe recalcar el 1er puesto también es una mujer, tu historia y tu legado me encanta, marcas la diferencia frente a esta sociedad. Saludos de Peru, para ti Debby, eres inspiración! 💕
Her speech got me through the toughest parts of my engineering student life. I'll be graduating next semester and I'm super excited for what's to come!
update pls
Why did I literally tear up at that story of what the little girl said at the end!! Absolutely amazing
this hit home....i can't control my tears..
i always wanted to be a princess when i was a little girl but i also wanted to be someone who would invent new things(specially toys) but now when i'm half way through my degree i feel the same way you did, "i don't fit in".
thank you for this speech, very inspiring.
i won't give up!
Most female engineers I work with are not native USA. Austrian, russian, chinese, japanese, indian. I think its more about US women (or western women), than it is about female engineers. Now that I mention it, I've never actually worked with a western female engineer, ever.
Americans in general are not very interested in STEM fields.
SepherStar says who?
scootigger Says university application demographic data.
***** On the subject of women from more oppressive countries being more likely to go into STEM fields, I think we in the west perceive this as a dichotomy due to differences in cultural perceptions. We think it strange that a country like India, where boys are favored over girls, and sexual harassment on the street is a big problem, they would elect a female prime minister, while they think it strange that in such an egalitarian country like America (as compared to their own), we have yet to elect a female president. But attributes associated with positions of authority in the west are also attributes associated with masculinity. Bold, direct, take charge, assertive, confident. While in India, attributes associated with leadership are not necessarily attributes typically associated with masculinity. Likewise, in these countries, being an engineer is not necessarily seen as a "male" thing. It's seen as a practical thing.
Women make their own decision not to go into theses kinds of majors they tend to chose more safe majors.
And than they blame "patriarchy" and "sexism" and "oppression" when it's all their personal choice.
Women must become more assertive and demanding in these things. If we want it will GET it. We have every right and freedom to do so :)
Btw I'm an egalitarian and I'm only focusing on the western countries
I'm a guy and I played Barbie doll when I was a kid. But I chose electrical engineering to be my major while I was in college. And now I'm a engineer. Hahaha. I still think Barbie dolls are pretty. What's wrong with guys playing Barbie?
I agree fully! it bothers me when a little boy can't even hold a doll because "that's a toy for girls!". "play with toy guns instead!". I don't think toys have any gender
I ripped the heads off of Barbie dolls. Does that count?
+captainkanji LOL I did that with my brother. Beheading Barbie dolls and playing with them headless XD
***** I never understood how it impacted children's views. to me, since it was a white Barbie doll, I never associated it to be something that I should strive for since I'm Asian. it was a cartoon, why would I want to look like a toy? idk I don't understand that mentality >.>
wat
I cried so badly today. I am from India , a girl coming from a lower middle class family. And I dream of becoming a Mechanical Engineer. But I am not good at Maths and Physics as other students are who want to take engineering. But I love the science behind machines. But due to being weak at Maths and Physics I decided to quit engineering . I am in class 12 now , I will work damn hard to improve myself Physics and Maths , and one day will crack the engineering entrance exam and will Definitely go into engineering. Believe in yourself girl , you can definitely do it!!!! 👍All the very best to the Female Engineers here ❤️no matter how difficult it is we can and we will do !!
I want to be a biomedical engineer. This video has helped me so much. I’m only 14 but it’s been my dream for about a year now. I hope one day I will be as successful and brave as this woman 💓
I never thought i would but now I'm a biomedical engineer :)
@EmMy girl we need to create a WhatsApp group to inspire each other
I’ve been a civil engineer for almost 13 years now. Currently Studying computer programming to change careers. I’m still happy I chose an Engineering degree.
When I told my mother I was going to major in Engineering, she told me I couldn’t do it. No matter who tries to hold you back, do not let them. If anyone is negative towards you, it’s their issue not yours.
Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story of yours. I am a Filipina, STEM student and I, honestly, doubting myself if I will excel in this field, but hearing your story it enlighten my spirit. It really just need a lot of hard work to pursue want you want and become who you wanna be. If you want to be an engineer, you can be an engineer! 💪👩🔬❤️
i'm a girl that grew up not only playing with dolls, but also constructing with lego and build-your-own train tracks :) and now i'm heading into the second year of my engineering bachelor. i'm so glad i was brought up with all different types of toys.
update: now in my final year of my structural engineering masters degree, with a job at one of the biggest design firms lined up for next year :)
I am a teenage girl watching this years after this video was published and found it really inspiring.
As a university professor in STEM education, this video and this story is shared over and over again in all of my classes. We need more Debbie Sterling's in the world.
I'm a freshman in college right now studying mechanical engineering and this made me cry so much. Wow, just wow.
I graduated as an electronics engineer in the 1970s when it was only 2% women, and have never regretted that choice. I'm passionate too about inspiring the next generation. Go for it, there is no limit to what you can achieve!
This is so inspiring
I would like to say that I watched this around a year ago and now I'm applying to do engineering in university. Thank you
I so much love engineering and looking forward to study it. But I am seriously not good in drawing
This is amazing, I am a 20 year old girl who had no clue what I wanted to do before last summer. I have always been a good student and I love to create things. Deciding on a major was difficult for me until I found the field of engineering. Although I am intimidated by the next few years in order to earn my degree by I am proud to say I am pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering, I would love to design medication one day. It is great to watch this video and know that I am not the only one who was intimidated but am still going through with it!
update pls!
I'd love to hear where you are now!
@@let716 reading all these comments I just want to create a group with every female in this comment section
@@nadiasanz3779 hi... i actually switched to medic halfway thru 🥺 it just got too much for me. wishing u all the best tho ❤️
Watched this video 4 years ago and it was the start of me understanding what engineering is and recognizing I am good enough to be an engineer. Currently applying to Columbia for Environmental Engineering. Thank you.
update pls
I’m a senior in high school at an engineering charter school and this speech really empowered me. I really love STEM, and am trying to spread it though out my community. So far I have taken 5 engineering classes on a variety of subjects like architecture, electronics, machining, welding, physics and more! I have volunteered at STEM summer camps, and even joined my school’s robotics team- which I’m the president of! I also have an apprenticeship at a local factory, where I work with engineers, collaborate with people on the production floor and even solve problems I’m assigned using everything I’ve learned so far! I know so many other women and girls in STEM have struggled to get where they are now, but I haven’t had too much trouble. Maybe I’m just lucky, but I like to think that the world is finally seeing our potential:) I’m so excited for the future of women in STEM, and I can’t wait to be a part of it. We can do anything!!!
I almost graduate from Industrial Engineering, I will be the first Engineer in my family :)
congratulations💜💜
congratulations!!
You go girl ❤️❤️
You make strangers proud girl ❤️
hello beautiful lady with a beautiful smile how are you doing, it is nice to meet you you are so beautiful, oh my god you have a lovely face i hope we can be friends
I'm studying to be a civil engineer..hope I succeed
Jessica S Wish You all the best !!! Talent is grown, not inherited...
Jessica S what classes are you taking, and what do you learn?
Hey. Do you need a lot of maths for that?
@@britneygrant9773 define a lot
Beatrix Benitez yes there’s a lot of calculus involved.
I am the first female engineer in my family and my parents are very proud😭💗💗💗
I am a girl in 6th Grade who is interested in STEM. Whenever I tell people that, they are extremely surprised! Unfortunately, there aren't many STEM programs available for Middle Schoolers, (6,7,8 grades) but there are many for High School, (grades 9,10,11) and can't wait to get there! After watching this video, you inspired me to pursue my dream and be persistent. Thank you. My dream Job is to be some kind of Doctor that works with kids and engineering!!! Can't Wait!!!
youre like in college or almost now thats crazy
Thank you so much for this talk! I’m a civil/structural engineer, graduated from a top engineering university in 70’s in Istanbul, Turkey . One of the five girls in 200 boys in the classroom and only the girl in the graduate school in Structural Engineering program.I didn’t fit in either throughout my career in a male dominated field of engineering in the US. You expressed so well how I felt during those 40 years that I worked as a civil engineer and a project manager in NY and NJ, thank you !!! Congratulations on your success !!.
Boys and girls should try every type of toy so they can have a broad knowledge so they have more options when taking important decisions, and we shouldn't judge if a boy wants to play with dolls, for example. That's the message not any of the conspiranoic statements some people make.
Im studying chemistry. But boy engineering is amazing I have a lot of female friends in that field. :)) u are inspring.
Boy engireering?
Haha read like this: "But boy, engineering is amazing[...]"
Inspiring.
Seasonal Frostbite Wow sexist.
@Arch - E this is the main reason I want to go into that major😂😂 no no, I ain't a meth addict but the effects on our bodies always intrigued me 😂
This is such a beautiful story. I was almost in tears. I'm pursuing a career in engineering as well and even as a guy i don't know if engineering is welcoming for everyone. However it is true that the presence of women is quite shocking.
I am studying electrical engineering now, and god knows how hard it is when everyone around me especially boys, are so smart in everything. Your story lifts my spirit, I would like to say thank you. I hope I can be like you when I graduate.
This video made me cry, and as I looked through the comment section I began to cry even more. As a first year female engineering student from the United States, I resonate with Debbie on a deep level. Of course, it is 2019 and there is a more inclusive attitude in STEM nowadays, but that has not yet remedied the systemic discouragement that I experienced as a child. Some of my happiest memories are of the creations I made with things that I found outside or around the house, but some of my saddest memories are of peers and authority figures stopping me in my tracks and steering me towards a more traditionally feminine path. Up until 2.5 years ago, I thought I would be a freelance artist because I felt a passion for creativity but never had the encouragement to give it a direction. That all changed with the help of a couple amazing teachers that both challenged and inspired me, but most importantly, treated me like any other student- not just a girl. I struggle with math, but that does NOT mean I will always struggle. Debbie strikes a profound point in her speech when she says that it's not about how smart you are, it's about how hard you work. No one is born an engineer, and no one grows up the same way. No matter where you come from, who you are, or how little you have, you will always have the potential to move forward.
Yes! You go girl!
As soon as she said “I added a book” I knew exactly what toy she was talking about I’ve had this toy I’m so proud of her
100% sounds like something my daughter would LOVE! She is always building and making things out of boxes and tape and paper and pretty much anything she can get her hands on.
Keep up the good work Debbie. I always like to work with female engineers, it really broadens my own perspective.
So Inspiring! I cried at the end of this, wasn't expecting to be emotional over this topic. I am doing research for my English Comp class and I chose "Girls in STEM". I am really enjoying finding all the research for this topic and dreaming of the kind of role model and teacher I can become after I complete my degree! I just bought our first GoldieBlox toy from Amazon for my 5 year old daughter. So excited for it to arrive! Thank you for sharing this amazing story with the world Debbie!
I’m currently studying engineering right now and this honestly gave me the motivation to finish the rest of the semester. It’s so incredibly easy to feel defeated in this field, especially as a woman, but that’s all the more reason to not give up!
Its not a biolohical thing, this is a cultural thing😥😥😥
My grandma told me if you had been born today, she would have studied Mechanical Engineering. Something that even my father didn’t know. I guess there are secrets that grandmas only tell their grandchildren. My father and I are both engineers. I have always had this feeling that in the engineering world there is a lack of balance between the number of men and women. I have worked with engineering women. My respect, they are so smart!!
I also have the story that once in an airport while we waited. I had the opportunity to chat with a man that told me that his daughter wanted to study mechanical engineering, so we chatted about it. I don’t think I told him about my grandma, but at the end of the conversation he made the comment that he was going to support his daughter to study mechanical engineering.
As she says women have a different perspective. In a field such as engineering where innovative ideas and thinking outside the norm is so rewarded there should be a definite demand for girls to have an equal chance for an engineering career.
i am going into biomedical engineering this year. I hope after some years from now I am able to say I have positively influenced people's lives like Debbie has
My parents gave my brother all the next latest and greatest electronics that were coming out during early 2000s and they use to give me all the pretty dolls and role play toys typical for girls.
They thought he was going to be a programmer cuz he played a lot of computer games but he decided to major in art and I majored in computer science lol! I didn't even know I liked programming until I took an intro cs course during my senior year of high school.
I always knew I had kind of an engineering mentality growing up because I liked taking scraps from the recycling bin and building random things from it. I even made houses for my dolls and ignored the store bought doll house my parents gave to me for my birthday.
This really inspires and reassures me that I'm making the right choices for my path. I might even consider after i complete my computer science degree to go pursue engineering as well.
I am pursuing Electronic engineering... whenever I feel disappointed, I watch this video. Thank You Debbie :)
Don't feel disappointed girl. I did electronics engineering too, I can feel the pain ,despair ,struggles that female engineers go through .Coz I have got personally my shares of struggles too.
I am so happy that I ended up looking up videos for engineering majors. I'm definitely not Stanford level but I am extremely nervous because I am majoring in Engineering. I am grateful to have come across this video.
Female engineer in the making and I'm loving every step of the journey :)
How’s it going?
@@briannac7848 Very well thanks! Now going into my fourth year of working as a Civil Engineer in road and drainage design :)
@@zerahgeorge hey I’m a new female engineer major too (freshman lol) how do u handle all the hard classes that come with being an engineer major I’m so scared I’ll fail and have been thinking of changing my major 😔
@@ldive I have this same problem. I don't know if I will make it. I am not sure if I can retain all of that information long-term. I am scared of going into engineering.
Im an 18 year old girl starting my diploma in civ eng next month and I'm honestly so scared. I don't think I'll make it
What an inspiring talk - not just for engineers or aspiring engineers, but for anyone who dreams of doing something that interests them. Thanks, Debbie. It can be done!
I saw this video about 4 years ago. I’m starting Mechanical Engineering this fall. It absolutely changed my life.
bachelor of science in civil engineering currently on my sophomore year and tbh, i dont fit in and i am on the verge of giving up but hey thanks you have inspired me to do better and become the civil engineer i aspired to be!!
update pls, same boat here :(
I was inspired since always since wen I was 10/11, I close my eyes I see me myself as an engineer & never changed my mind still now I'm college after a few I will go to Uni. Never ever I will give up to engineering
update pls
Word for word, this is exactly what I needed. There were so many parallels in my thinking process and hers in considering majoring in engineering, but now I have tons of clarity. I can't even thank you enough!
Thank you for this inspiring speech. First year biomedical engineering student. And I LOVE this faculty so far. I wouldn’t even consider engineering if I never watched this video. Can’t express how thankful I am
This Tex talk has me crying, omg. I'm a chemical engineering major, graduating fall 2019. I love this so much! I absolutely love hearing from other women engineers. My boyfriend's mom is actually an electrical engineer who works on autonomous vehicles, and she's brilliant.
Awesome!! Debbie Sterling this is a great deal for our young daughters.
I just wanted to send you (i.e. Debbie) a word of encouragement, congratulate you on your current success and wish you even more success in the future.
I plan on buying at least one GoldieBlox toy for my daughter for Christmas. I showed her the video and she thought it was cool. I think the time for you idea has come. I plan on playing with my daughter and the GoldieBlox toy because I think it will encourage her as well as help her enjoy it more. Even if she does nothing in the engineering field I think this will be great for her in general and broaden her mind.
I love your idea of having a verbal component to the construction set. Girls do tend to be better at verbal skills, they tend to use them more frequently (i.e. yes statistically girls talk more than guys), and verbalizing ideas helps everyone not just girls.
For future ideas think about adding more social aspects to one or more toys. Perhaps something that allowed two girls to work on a project at the same time. Perhaps you've already thought of this? I'll have to see once I get the toy.
Thank you for creating these toys.
This is so inspiring. I always watch this when I feel discouraged.
Watching this video just made my day. I'm planning on being a software engineer and was scared about how hard it is and how girls can't be in that field and all that. But right now, I feel so excited on taking such a wonderful major! I am going to work hard and make myself proud of the woman I am becoming!
I am a 13 year teen programmer and i love engeneering, she made me more motivate to do software engineering and to do what i really love
Found this as I'm doing research on programming, I'm a week in to my first class. Love this!
hello beautiful lady with a beautiful smile how are you doing, it is nice to meet you you are so beautiful, oh my god you have a lovely face i hope we can be friends
This is the best speech I’ve ever heard! So inspirational! I’m 14 and I want to be an engineer. I dropped Drama for product design a few months ago and it was the best decision I ever made! It’s now my favourite subject! But I’m in a class of about 20-25 and there’s only 2 girls (that’s including me)
Debbie, you rock! I have shared this video with my younger sister who is also pursuing a career in the tech industry just like me. I have struggled, but I am putting in the time and effort, and I am confident that I can learn anything. So far I am doing good and have enjoyed every single one of my classes. You have inspired me to keep trying my best. My sister looks up to me as the role model I never had. Your speech has touched my heart. Now, I look up to you and congratulate you for all you have achieved so far. I truly respect and admire your dedication and passion for your career. Thank you for inspiring me and our little girls. ❤️
I am so grateful to live in an environment where I rarely get to hear things like "engineering is not for women". When I was little, I didn't want to be a princess. I saw those barbie toys & games, & thought of gaining the same independence,that mansion ,that car that barbie had. I am grateful that rather than calling me a princess, my mom called me an angel who had the potential to create miracles. This year on, I am going to do computer science from Canada & hope that I can be as awesome, hard-working & determined as this lady.
i have always wanted to go into engineering because my dad told me that but i really didn't know what it was and know i really want to do it. I am eleven and i and really inspired already… Thanx