Last night was the program kickoff of the Woman & Math Mentoring program. I met the girls and their moms for the first time.
I was nervous! I wanted to convince the moms i was trustworthy enough for them to release their daughter into my care, as well as appear enthusiastic and cool to the girls so they will look forward to hanging out with me. I think i accomplished that.
First impressions: all three girls were absolutely beautiful. One was particularly introverted. They know each other already from school, which could be good or bad. If the two outgoing ones participate to the point of excluding the introvert, that might be bad. But, as an introverted person myself, i often enjoy kind of being an observer. So there will be a balance to strike to encourage participation but also letting it be okay to hang back a little.
All three are excelling in math right now, which is how they got chosen for this program. I asked them about their interests, which are wonderfully diverse. R wants to be a pediatrician. M wants to be a veterinarian. L wants to be… an actress. OK, not math-related AT ALL, but still cool. Of the many suggested ideas for field trips, to accomodate these girls’ interests, we’re going to go to Duke Children’s Center, NCSU Vet School and WRAL-TV.
I’m excited about seeing these places myself! I hope i can show them a good time while also be a positive influence and role model for them.