Did you know that women wrote the code that put a man on the moon? That women invented the fire escape the deep-sea telescope, the solar heated home, the list goes on and on.

We at Smart Futures have had the honour to work with many brilliant women who are leading the way in their STEM careers. We have lots of female ambassadors that have chosen to work with us and encourage the next generation of STEM leaders.

To mark International Women’s Day today, we are celebrating some of our brilliant female role models to thank them for being a part of the Smart Futures mission.

Nicci Daly, Irish hockey player and motorsport engineer, has recently told us her story about how she was discouraged from taking up STEM subjects in the Leaving Cert. Nicci didn’t let this stop her and while she is currently training for the 2020 Olympics, she’s also worked as a data engineer for Indy Lights, a racing series a bit like Formula One! Read Nicci’s story here.

Alba Menendez, civil engineer for ARUP, mentioned how being a woman working in a “man’s world” has inspired her to work even harder and make sure she reaches her full potential. Now, Alba is responsible for designing some of the most important roads around Ireland and the UK! Find out about Alba’s story here.

Crionna Tobin, from Glanbia Performance Nutrition, works with people of all ages in their fitness journey – including elite athletes – to help them improve their nutrition and performance, and enhance their quality of life. She told us all about how hard she had to work in school to get where she is today and how she hopes to inspire others! Crionna’s story is here.

The more young women that take up STEM subjects, courses and careers, the greater impact women can all have on the world, just like Nicci, Alba and Crionna. Whether you want to design the roads that people use every day, work in the space industry, work with animals or with drones, the possibilities are endless.

While the world has moved on and the perception that STEM is for men and not for women is diminishing, we still need to work to remove any factors that might discourage women and girls from pursuing STEM. So, join us in celebrating the women in STEM in Ireland and around the world – with exposure and encouragement, the sky is the limit in STEM for young women!