New Albany Plain Local High School senior Kate Miller fell in love with robotics after signing up to take a class with a friend. Outnumbered by her male counterparts in the class, Miller’s realization that too few females were involved in the sciences led her to create the STEM Girls Club, which meets weekly with middle school girls to inspire interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The initiative dovetailed with her senior seminar project, creating a chapter of Future Innovators of New Albany (FIONA).

Her efforts resulted in a High School Student Innovation Award from TechColumbus and a scholarship worth $2,500 that she will apply to her study of chemistry and bimolecular engineering. Miller also received the Ohio Affiliate Aspirations in Computing Award and was named one of the Top 35 most promising scientists and technologists from the National Center of Women & Information Technology.

Miller and her assistants conducted lessons that involved everything from Twizzlers to baked meringues demonstrated to the younger students that advanced science impacts and informs many aspects of life. Read more at SNP Online.