go slow keep the pressure steady don’t stop
keep the pressure steady don’t stop
keep the pressure steady don’t stop you’ve got this I’m standing ready to
you’ve got this I’m standing ready to
you’ve got this I’m standing ready to push a 2×4 piece of wood towards a blade
push a 2×4 piece of wood towards a blade
push a 2×4 piece of wood towards a blade it’s huge and I can hear its vicious
it’s huge and I can hear its vicious
it’s huge and I can hear its vicious racket even through my peer muffs that
racket even through my peer muffs that
racket even through my peer muffs that are over my head it’s five times the
are over my head it’s five times the
are over my head it’s five times the size of my eight-year-old hands I’m
size of my eight-year-old hands I’m
size of my eight-year-old hands I’m standing on the top rung of a step stool
standing on the top rung of a step stool
standing on the top rung of a step stool because I’m so small and the table saw
because I’m so small and the table saw
because I’m so small and the table saw is so massive I barely reached the top
is so massive I barely reached the top
is so massive I barely reached the top my dad is standing right behind me his
my dad is standing right behind me his
my dad is standing right behind me his arms wrapped around mine his fingertips
arms wrapped around mine his fingertips
arms wrapped around mine his fingertips placed gently on the top of my knuckles
placed gently on the top of my knuckles
placed gently on the top of my knuckles as I push my fingers forward that blade
as I push my fingers forward that blade
as I push my fingers forward that blade is coming right at me I can feel its
is coming right at me I can feel its
is coming right at me I can feel its teeth grab the wood as it starts to
teeth grab the wood as it starts to
teeth grab the wood as it starts to pulverize it I am scared out of my mind
pulverize it I am scared out of my mind
pulverize it I am scared out of my mind but I know I’m going to do this I do you
but I know I’m going to do this I do you
but I know I’m going to do this I do you kept the pressure up your hands or
kept the pressure up your hands or
kept the pressure up your hands or steady great job
am I in a cone of silence or an
am I in a cone of silence or an alternate universe or maybe the twilight
alternate universe or maybe the twilight
alternate universe or maybe the twilight zone I’m in a room full of my male
zone I’m in a room full of my male
zone I’m in a room full of my male colleagues and no one can hear me I
colleagues and no one can hear me I
colleagues and no one can hear me I pinched myself no really here what in
pinched myself no really here what in
pinched myself no really here what in the world is going on and then it hits
the world is going on and then it hits
the world is going on and then it hits me I’m a girl they can hear me just fine
me I’m a girl they can hear me just fine
me I’m a girl they can hear me just fine they’re simply choosing to ignore me
they’re simply choosing to ignore me
they’re simply choosing to ignore me because I have boobs Wow
because I have boobs Wow
because I have boobs Wow I’m stunned and then the wave of
I’m stunned and then the wave of
I’m stunned and then the wave of devastation hits I have never felt so
devastation hits I have never felt so
devastation hits I have never felt so alone in a room filled with people
alone in a room filled with people
alone in a room filled with people I can’t leave so I sit quietly I look
I can’t leave so I sit quietly I look
I can’t leave so I sit quietly I look down at my notes so I don’t have to
down at my notes so I don’t have to
down at my notes so I don’t have to interface with anyone else in the room
interface with anyone else in the room
interface with anyone else in the room I don’t not to repeat for the rest of
I don’t not to repeat for the rest of
I don’t not to repeat for the rest of that meeting I walk out devastated I
that meeting I walk out devastated I
that meeting I walk out devastated I failed and hurts
women started entering stem back in
women started entering stem back in World War two to make up for the men
World War two to make up for the men
World War two to make up for the men that were overseas we continued to have
that were overseas we continued to have
that were overseas we continued to have women enter stem in numbers that peaked
women enter stem in numbers that peaked
women enter stem in numbers that peaked in 1984 with 35 percent of the graduates
in 1984 with 35 percent of the graduates
in 1984 with 35 percent of the graduates getting degrees in computer science
getting degrees in computer science
getting degrees in computer science being women however for the past decade
being women however for the past decade
being women however for the past decade the number of female graduates across
the number of female graduates across
the number of female graduates across all berries of stem have flattened even
all berries of stem have flattened even
all berries of stem have flattened even worse in computer science the number of
worse in computer science the number of
worse in computer science the number of female graduates has gone down to 18
female graduates has gone down to 18
female graduates has gone down to 18 percent and yet in computer science it’s
percent and yet in computer science it’s
percent and yet in computer science it’s expected to jobs are expected to grow
expected to jobs are expected to grow
expected to jobs are expected to grow from between 28 and 32 percent so we
from between 28 and 32 percent so we
from between 28 and 32 percent so we need women in stem a Stanford study
need women in stem a Stanford study
need women in stem a Stanford study tells us that girls are praised and
tells us that girls are praised and
tells us that girls are praised and critiqued on who they are as a person
critiqued on who they are as a person
critiqued on who they are as a person you did that wrong where boys are
you did that wrong where boys are
you did that wrong where boys are critiqued and praised on their specific
critiqued and praised on their specific
critiqued and praised on their specific tasks that they’re working on right
tasks that they’re working on right
tasks that they’re working on right there somewhere is the error in that
there somewhere is the error in that
there somewhere is the error in that math problem this systemic problem
math problem this systemic problem
math problem this systemic problem continues on into adulthood
continues on into adulthood
continues on into adulthood another study demonstrates that when a
another study demonstrates that when a
another study demonstrates that when a man goes in for his yearly performance
man goes in for his yearly performance
man goes in for his yearly performance review he is given concrete action items
review he is given concrete action items
review he is given concrete action items and specific feedback on where to
and specific feedback on where to
and specific feedback on where to improve women
improve women
improve women we’re told you need to work harder at
we’re told you need to work harder at
we’re told you need to work harder at that or you need to do better
it’s no wonder why we’ve internalized
it’s no wonder why we’ve internalized this messaging I equate Who I am with
this messaging I equate Who I am with
this messaging I equate Who I am with what I’ve done I have to be perfect I
what I’ve done I have to be perfect I
what I’ve done I have to be perfect I have to do everything exactly right
have to do everything exactly right
have to do everything exactly right because if I don’t I’m a failure
back at my first job I had a colossal
back at my first job I had a colossal failure but I took that moment when I
failure but I took that moment when I
failure but I took that moment when I decided to rise up and dust myself off
decided to rise up and dust myself off
decided to rise up and dust myself off and I was able to go and talk to my
and I was able to go and talk to my
and I was able to go and talk to my co-workers about what it was I wanted
co-workers about what it was I wanted
co-workers about what it was I wanted and what it is that I needed from them I
and what it is that I needed from them I
and what it is that I needed from them I made allies with my co-workers I made
made allies with my co-workers I made
made allies with my co-workers I made allies of my bosses and I made allies of
allies of my bosses and I made allies of
allies of my bosses and I made allies of the people who worked for me I hired
the people who worked for me I hired
the people who worked for me I hired every single woman who walked in the
every single woman who walked in the
every single woman who walked in the door not because she’s a woman but
door not because she’s a woman but
door not because she’s a woman but because she was unbelievably qualified
because she was unbelievably qualified
because she was unbelievably qualified to hold the job and I made sure when I
to hold the job and I made sure when I
to hold the job and I made sure when I gave feedback no matter who it was to on
gave feedback no matter who it was to on
gave feedback no matter who it was to on the team it was very specific and
the team it was very specific and
the team it was very specific and focused on the task and not generalized
focused on the task and not generalized
focused on the task and not generalized about their person
I was able to step up into stem to step
I was able to step up into stem to step up to the table saw and to thrive in a
up to the table saw and to thrive in a
up to the table saw and to thrive in a male-dominated field in no small part
male-dominated field in no small part
male-dominated field in no small part because my dad told me specific praise
because my dad told me specific praise
because my dad told me specific praise and critiques so I understood that a
and critiques so I understood that a
and critiques so I understood that a failure was just a simple incident and
failure was just a simple incident and
failure was just a simple incident and not a reflection on who I was as a
not a reflection on who I was as a
not a reflection on who I was as a person it’s about time that we focus on
person it’s about time that we focus on
person it’s about time that we focus on the impact of the project and not on the
the impact of the project and not on the
the impact of the project and not on the gender of the person doing it
”
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