Finding Your Way in STEM
Share
Popular TV characters like forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and Criminal Mind’s Penelope Garcia, Technical Analyst for the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), provide a peek into STEM careers that can be both challenging and exciting. Hollywood is doing its part to encourage young people toward careers in STEM by creating characters that promote knowledge and skills relevant in STEM industries, especially for female roles. While these career paths are traditionally male dominated, Hollywood is helping show women of all ages that working in science is an option available to them.



Television may exaggerate and glamourize fictional female characters on shows like CSI, Bones, and Criminal Minds, but there are many amazing examples of STEM professionals in real life. In a recent webinar promoting the studies of STEM programs, I was inspired by the stories of how some were able to meld their initial non-science degrees with science to eventually find their place in STEM careers. Dr. Francesca Catalano shared her journey from her start in biology and medical technology, her segue into a law degree, and her eventual return to science to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular biology. With so many career options available to her, making a career decision could have been a daunting task. However, being tuned into her true passion, Dr. Catalano found her way back to science and into a teaching position at the university level, and now uses her role to inspire others to pursue studies in STEM programs.




Though many think of STEM as a field that demands a science-oriented career goal from the start, Dr. Catalano’s career path shows that allowing your interests to flow creatively can help you find a unique career in science. While examples like Dr. Catalano’s aren’t always highly visible to students, many television programs allow viewers of all ages to see career possibilities in STEM. Used properly, television can be a tool to reach young viewers and show them that when you allow your interests to venture onto non-traditional career paths, you sometimes end up in a place much more interesting.