Interview with Sarah Mirsaidi
It’s always interesting to learn more about the lives of fellow womxn in STEAM so that we can connect to them and learn more about the work they do. Recently, I had the chance to interview Sarah Mirsaidi, a high schooler and the blogging director at Girl Genius and part of multiple STEAM organizations. Her experience is a guide and example of what it is like to be a womxn in STEAM, including the challenges and the accomplishments.
Tell us about your identity as a womxn in STEAM.
I’m still discovering and developing my identity as a womxn in STEAM. In my opinion, identity is fluid and changing, and it’s okay to be confused or unclear about your identity. Here are some things I do know, though: I’m a middle eastern girl who is fascinated by the worlds of biology and chemistry, and as of right now I want to pursue a career in neurology.
What sort of projects have you recently undertaken?
Recently, I have become involved with an STEAM-based organization at my high school called Project Biopolis, which is dedicated to fighting inequality in STEAM by providing underserved youth with quality science education in biology, chemistry, and physics. We are working to create an elementary/middle school science curriculum for a small school in Belize that was extremely unprepared to transition to distance learning because of the coronavirus pandemic. I work to create quizzes, tests, and activities for these students, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to help them during this difficult time.
In addition to Project Biopolis, I am the Director of Blogging at Girl Genius Magazine, a publication dedicated to empowering womxn in STEAM, and the Co-Director of Awareness at Simply Neuroscience, a student-run organization focused on expanding global neuroscience education. The Awareness team is currently working to create an online introduction to mental health and awareness course in collaboration with another organization named Plannr Consulting. This course will be available on Beyond the Five’s website during the 2021–2022 school year!
What is your favorite category in STEAM?
My favorite category in STEAM is definitely science because of my love for both biology and chemistry. However, I also really enjoy the Art category because I find topics like literature, philosophy, and ethics to be really interesting. One of my favorite things to study is the intersectionality of the sciences and the arts/humanities, which is one of the main reasons I want to become a doctor. In my opinion, to be a great physician you need to be able to apply concepts like ethics, civics, and sociology to the science work you are doing.
Do you have any words of advice for girls just entering the world of STEAM?
Take a chance. I always held myself back from getting involved in STEAM because I was scared. I was scared I wasn’t smart enough and that I would fail. During quarantine, I finally took the leap of faith and got super involved in STEAM outside of my academics, and in a few short months I was able to partake in so many cool projects and meet so many inspiring girls. Just know that you can do anything you put your mind to. Yes, you will fail, but failure is not the “end all be all.”You will get back up and continue moving forward. Don’t let fear be the reason you don’t get involved in STEAM. I regret not getting involved earlier, but I’m glad I took a chance and finally got involved.
Interviewing Sarah Mirsaidi was overall an interesting and educational experience for me. I had no idea about her work with Simply Neuroscience, an organization which actually fascinated me since I have my own interest in neuroscience. I’m sure others can similarly learn from her experience and from the experiences of other womxn in STEAM.
