The number of women in science and engineering is growing, yet men continue to outnumber women.

Senior Lindsay Nofs is a young woman interested in STEM and is also involved with the robotics team.

STEM is short for science, technology, engineering, and math.

Nofs admits that at first she had a negative attitude toward robotics because it was a “boy topic.”

“At first I wanted nothing to do with robotics or STEM,” Nofs said. “That was a topic only my brother and dad discussed.”

Only until Nofs experienced the atmosphere, did she become interested.

“The atmosphere really pulled me in. Now, I encourage all girls to get involved,” Nofs said.

Nofs encourages all young women to become knowledgeable of STEM regardless of age.

Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, both girls and boys take math and science courses in roughly equal numbers, yet fewer women than men pursue science and engineering majors in college.

Among first-year college students, women are less likely than men to major in a STEM program.

Nationally, women earn close to 60 percent of all bachelor’s degrees overall, but only 20 percent of those degrees are in computer science, 20 percent are in physics, and 18 percent are in engineering, according to The New York Times.

Women are more likely to go into careers involved with health care and education, but women still tend to earn just three-quarters the salary of those in higher-tech fields.

Since that is a fact, why are there less women than men in STEM careers?

Girls involved with robotics said that there are three things believed to be keeping women out of STEM careers.

1- Teasing in School

2- A Lack of Encouragement

3- Stereotypes

Junior Hannah Brackin admits that these are three problems she has faced and has proudly ignored.

“I want to go into mechanical engineering, and it is rare for a girl to want to major in (that),” Brackin said. “When you’re a girl in STEM programs, you are definitely the odd man out.

“But with that being said, there is no reason for girls to not try it. You have to take a stand and not let it be a man’s field. That is what I am trying to prove.”

The robotics team is working on the number of girls involved.

Senior Michael Fitzgerald, one of the team’s captains, is happy to have some girls on board.

“We promote girls in technology and are proud to have had five girls on our team of 17,” Fitzgerald said. “Our goal is to raise that number as we raise awareness of FIRST and STEM.”

FIRST is an organization that organizes robotics competition in the country. It is an acronym derived from For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

Nofs another one of the team’s captains, thinks being a girl in robotics is challenging.

“It is really hard being a girl in robotics. The guys didn’t really know where to put, or how to handle me, just because I am of the opposite sex,” Nofs said. “I wanted to build the robot at first and got pushed out, but, like everyone else, I had to earn my position and respect.”

Nofs encourages women to join the team despite the stereotypes.

“I have learned a lot,” Nofs said. “Especially the fact that you can’t let a stereotype tell you where you stand on the team because if you let that happen you’ll become the dumb stereotype defined by your gender.”

Sophomore Emily Rose is another girl dedicated to the robotics team.

“It (being on the robotics team) is definitely a conversation starter, and I love telling people about it,” Rose said. “It is empowering as a young woman, knowing that I am beating the stigmas of gender discrimination.”

Rose does not think it is an advantage or disadvantage to be a girl on the team.

“Being a girl doesn’t make me feel specifically better or worse for the team,” Rose said. “But it does spread gender equality and beating the stereotypes, and, for that matter, I feel like I am an improvement to the team.”