By Anna Khan
Victoria King will be a senior in the fall of 2022 and is the Director of Outreach and Expansion for JuSTEMagine. She is extremely passionate about helping JuSTEMagine reach as many students as possible and help those students find a place in STEAM.
How did you first get involved in JuSTEMagine?
“I’m the captain of a robotics team at my high school. I’m in charge of our social media and I follow a team called Greendale on Instagram. I saw that they did a STEM event with an organization called JuSTEMagine, so I followed them as well. Shortly after, JuSTEMagine posted a recruitment message and I applied! It’s definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
What are your responsibilities as Director of Outreach?
“As Director of Outreach, I help to identify and implement new service projects for JuSTEMagine. Mainly, I plan virtual events with the amazing Girls in STEM Coordinator, Serena. I’ve planned a virtual Out of This World STEM Night and a Girls in STEM Event where we correlated the engineering process to the poetry writing process. I make sure I find ways to implement the art aspect of STEAM into our service. I also help with the SEL Lesson Review and I write monthly articles for the Imagining Publication. My new line of business is to partner with a counselor to provide mental health services to at risk kids in Georgia, reach out to 10 non-profit organizations, and to start on legislative advocacy.”
What are your responsibilities as Director of Expansion?
“As the Director of Expansion, I identify and implement new ways to recruit volunteers and chapters to JuSTEMagine. New volunteers come with the virtual events I mentioned earlier. Also, to make JuSTEMagine more prevalent in Georgia, I started a Macon Chapter as the President and Founder. I do a lot of service such as hosting summer camps and mentoring youth First Lego League robotics team. I’m also working to recruit a Cummings, Georgia Chapter with a robotics team that aligns with our JuSTEMagine values.”
Why is encouraging kids to get involved with STEAM important to you personally?
“Because there’s a place for everyone. STEAM is so inclusive and well-rounded, but most importantly transferable. The skills learned in STEAM translate to whatever area of study the kids choose. For example, me personally, I’m a writer at heart. I’ve fallen in love with science fiction story telling, and the ideas I’ve generated typically come from a concept in STEAM, whether that’s robotics or artificial intelligence. Also, learning how to technically write has helped me become a better screenwriter. Technical writing is where you take an engineer’s product and you aim to communicate it understandably to a general audience through a medium, probably a portfolio. Although screenwriting seems different, it’s in the same ballpark. With screenwriting, you’re taking a creator’s abstract idea and you aim to communicate it understandably to a general audience through a medium, probably television or film. So if I can get something out of STEAM and transfer it to a seemingly “non related” area of study, then I know other kids will do so as well. That’s my goal! No matter if they choose not to pursue STEAM, I still want them to have lifelong, transferable traits. They’ll take something they learn from STEAM and use it in their day to day lives. They’ll learn collaboration, creativity, leadership, scientific thinking, problem solving, inclusivity, how to research, the list goes on. All these skills aren’t just exclusive to only STEAM; they’re essentially life skills. For example, the curiosity learned in STEAM can transfer to any area and it can foster your love of lifelong learning. So, I would recommend every kid to challenge themselves and join the STEAM movement. There is truly a place for everyone. In short, STEAM is preparing kids for the real world!”
What individual or group work are you most proud of from your time with JuSTEMagine?
“I’m definitely most proud of the Virtual Out of This World STEM Night. The inspiration behind all of the activities came from a Mission to Mars book I received at an 8th grade Leadership Forum at Emory University. Just seeing how far I’ve come in STEAM, it’s truly symbolic. That book really started my love of STEAM and for me to be able to share that love to other people a couple years later is insane. Also, as for the event, it was very well-thought. We had a virtual field trip through outer space. We did a Mission to Mars challenge where we designed a Mars habitat for new colonists. Then, we did another challenge where we designed elements of a Mars Rover to save an astronaut. We touched on the technical components of the rover, such as automation, sensors, and human to robot interaction. Also, we tied everything to social-emotional learning, which is one of our core values! For example, with the first challenge we looked internally at our own places that we love, such as rooms or schools. We figured out what made them so special so we could make something special for the colonists. It was more than just a habitat. It was a sentimental place that they should want to be in! Also very important, this was a group effort!! Claire and Serena did a fabulous job on this! They helped with the powerpoint, advertising, zoom setup, etc.” Victoria also added that she would “love to repeat this event or a similar one next year.”
What goals do you have for JuSTEMagine in the future?
“My goal for JuSTEMagine is to keep expanding. I see there being a Chapter in a lot of US states and in other parts of the world!”
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