Girls in STEM Event Showcases Future Career Pathways to Young Women

March 31, 2025

The 11th Annual Girls in STEM event was hosted by Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday, March 29, in the college’s Bulmer Telecommunications Center (BTC). More than 170 girls in grades four through eight attended.

The event was also sponsored by MJ Engineering, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Land Surveying, P.C. and featured interactive workshops designed to get young women interested, excited and confident about pursuing science and technology-based careers.

The event featured Tori Rodriguez, a local welder, builder and multidimensional artist, as its keynote speaker. Students also attended workshops led by STEM industry professionals and educators, exploring the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

Programs like the Girls in STEM event are essential for youth, but especially girls. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, women account for only 29.3% of STEM federal workers in the United States.

“Hudson Valley is thrilled to welcome the Girls in STEM event back to campus for its 11th year,” said Officer in Charge Louis Coplin. “In a recent study, UNESCO noted that women make up only 35% of STEM graduates globally. Events like Girls in STEM aim to change that statistic by finding impactful ways to help young girls feel confident about pursing STEM-based education and careers. The college is proud to support this event each year, and I am grateful to our faculty and staff who helped to organize the event.”