On Embracing STEM and Leadership at DSHA and Beyond

Good afternoon, and thank you for allowing me to speak at this incredible event. My name is Kate Sohn and I am a senior at DSHA, an all-girls, Catholic, college-prep high school. I am so honored to represent DSHA and speak at this TEMPO event. I understand that TEMPO is the largest professional women’s group in Wisconsin, and I am so inspired to be gathered with professional women supporting women. I want to spend a moment to tell you about how DSHA is cultivating future TEMPO members to continue providing leadership and support in our community.

For me, being surrounded by an all-girls environment has been everything. DSHA has given me endless opportunities to immerse myself in rigorous academics and experience sisterhood by forging meaningful relationships with my classmates. My DSHA sisters and I have been challenged, but that is the point. Our teachers recognize the potential in every student at DSHA and their ability to transform into future leaders in the Milwaukee community and ensure we are supported with endless resources to be successful. Through these challenges, I look up to my teachers as role models and have an open environment to collaborate with my classmates, allowing us to empower one another and grow in our own individual self-confidence that extends beyond our work inside the classroom. We all have different strengths and we are willing to listen to and learn from each other. For me personally, I have grown so much in my own self-confidence because of the classes, people, and opportunities DSHA has given me academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually. I feel so prepared for my future endeavors in college and professionally because of the foundation DSHA has provided me with.

DSHA allows for young women to grow together as critical thinkers, leaders, communicators, self-advocates, and women of faith. That said, this mission does nothing to highlight what my classmates and I represent. Our class, while accomplished, is more than awards and accolades – my classmates recognize the need for our voices to be heard and take our roles seriously as social change agents. We all come from different backgrounds and ideologies providing us with the unique opportunity to educate ourselves, form our own opinions, and respect the beliefs of others. I love living in Wisconsin and feel we have so much to be thankful for. However, we also have serious problems we have to face. DSHA has given us the framework to understand these issues and shown us how to use our voices to create sustainable change.

Specifically, DSHA has allowed me to grow confidence and passion in STEM through the various STEM courses and clubs offered. I have been involved in the STEM Scholars program where I am able to work with like-minded individuals to attend different speakers and participate in collaborative projects. When listening to different medical professionals, I understood that I desired to enter into healthcare, but also recognized the countless opportunities available in this field. This taught me the flexibility and ability for self-discovery that STEM offers. I immediately wanted to immerse myself into a STEM career and accomplished this by earning my CNA certification. Through STEM Scholars, I have not only grown as a confident leader inside and outside of the classroom, but have been immersed into numerous opportunities to build community, further understand the endless opportunities available in a STEM career, and decipher which would best reflect my interests.

Going to DSHA is about so much more than our four years here. It is about what we can continue to do after – whether supporting students or serving our communities well. It is taking the confidence we have built here and doing something lasting with it, just as all you incredible leaders have accomplished. This fall, I will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I will study biochemistry. Because of the leadership and self-advocacy DSHA provided me, I can confidently and enthusiastically immerse myself into a STEM career, knowing the support DSHA has given my classmates and me will help us experience continued success in a university setting. Again, thank you for your time and allowing me to be able to connect with this powerful group of leaders. Each one of you is a reflection of my future goals as I look to emerge as a strong leader in my community.