Gould Women in STEM: Encouragement & Mentorship in Practice

Why Are There Still So Few Women in STEM?

Gould may have the antidote. In her widely regarded 2013 New York Times essay, writer Eileen Pollack explored why so many talented women leave STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) pathways, even after excelling academically. Her conclusion was that the biggest barrier is not aptitude, but expectation. A lack of encouragement and mentorship driven by bias and outdated stereotypes shapes outcomes long before careers begin.

This talent gap (women make up about 26% of the STEM workforce, according to the U.S. Department of Labor) is a national problem, and one that the National Science Board, a federal agency created by Congress, is working to correct with its Vision 2030 strategic plan. For many Gould alumni and students, the STEM landscape looks a little different.

The kind of mentorship needed isn’t complicated. It starts with small moments. A perfect example is when science teacher Sarah Crockett invited Mallory Raymond ’27 to join her biology class to dissect a lamb’s heart.

“I wasn’t even taking that class,” says Mallory. “Ms. Crockett knew that I was really interested and wanted to do it, so she let me sit in on the lab. I’ve always liked science, but I hadn’t really gotten a true science experience until my ninth-grade year at Gould.”

That kind of experience sends a powerful affirmation to students. You are known. Your interests and ideas matter.

Later that year, when she had the opportunity to go to a “Girls in STEM” day at Thomas College, Mallory jumped at the chance. Gould math and IDEAS Center teacher Arik Goff P’27 brought a vanload of girls to the conference, only to discover that of the 16 total students in attendance, Gould accounted for 13. There were engaging sessions on dating trees and one on liver enzymes.

Seemingly small gestures can lead to extraordinary results.

From Math Mentorship to Meta 

When Xiaolu Qian ’15 arrived at Gould in 2011 as a ninth-grader from Shanghai, China, she didn’t choose an American name that would be easier to pronounce for American students and faculty, as is often the custom at boarding schools. She felt known and welcomed at Gould right from the start. From her teachers and coaches to her friends, she always felt seen for who she truly was.

Her passion for STEM was formed in the McLaughlin Science Center, and when she completed AP Calculus BC (the highest-level math class Gould offered), she continued to receive support in creative ways.

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The important skill set I developed was learning to communicate. Behind all the scientific and quantitative stuff like math and coding, you need to be a storyteller. - Xiaolu Qian ’15

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Former math teacher and Director of Student Support at Bates College, Andee Alford P’17,’20, knew Xiaolu was curious and capable of more. She discovered an online class from Stanford University on proofs and logic. She developed a custom course that Xiaolu and one other student could pursue, and served as their advisor in the class. 

“It was a very interesting class, and she did that just for us,” says Xiaolu. “My passion and interest in science and math really came from the foundation Gould gave me. I got that from Gould, and not just from Mrs. Alford’s class. I also loved AP Physics with Ms. (Nancy) Eaton. I still remember writing my final project. It was on the internal inertia of a bicycle.”

The important skill set I developed was learning to communicate.Behind all the scientific and quantitative stuff like math and coding, you need to be a storyteller.

Inspired to go further, Xiaolu studied Math and Computer Science at Vanderbilt, then earned her Master’s in Data Science at the University of Washington. She took a job at CVS Aetna as a data scientist, building educational campaigns to help users better prioritize their health, which was well-aligned with her personal values. Five months ago, she accepted a position as a data scientist at Meta, helping to shape the user experience on Facebook Marketplace.

“It’s a very exciting product to work on because Marketplace is something everyone knows and most people really like,” explains Xiaolu. “It helps people to find meaningful things like housing and employment. It’s a product that I like and use myself. I bought my snowboard there. I understand how users behave and what it’s like to use it. A broader way to describe my work as a data scientist is that I’m building better user experiences based on feedback and observations.”

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During her undergrad, she saw many articles portraying data science as a promising, glamorous new field to pursue, and it appealed to her for reasons beyond her love of science.

“[Data Science] requires a lot of communication,” says Xiaolu. “Working with cross-functional stakeholders like data engineers and product managers is the glue of the strategy.”

She explains how the critical thinking skills and empathy she learned at Gould prepared her for her current role at Meta.

“It wasn’t just the AP classes I got to take at Gould, and not just science. The important skill set I developed was learning to communicate and listen more effectively. It helped me advance in my current field. Behind all the scientific and quantitative stuff like stats, math, and coding, you need to be a storyteller.”

A Strong & Secure Network

In Pollack’s essay, the Director of the Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Meg Urry, asserts that “her colleagues need to recognize the potential of women who discover a passion for science relatively late. You can come to science very late and turn out to be a whiz.”

This was precisely the case for Gould Trustee Laura Hunter ’90.

Laura Hunter’s career hasn’t followed a straight line, and she has leaned into that every step of the way. Her career has spanned several industries, from the U.S. government and broadcast journalism to technology and now cybersecurity.

“Every stage of my career has been male-dominated,” says Laura. “That was true early on in my career, and it’s been just as true in cybersecurity.”

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Gould prepared me to think bigger and lead confidently. The habits I built there, resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to stretch, are the same ones I rely on today. - Laura Hunter ’90

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Now, as a Senior Partner at IBM, she’s doing critical work helping global organizations protect the systems we depend on every day. She often finds herself the only woman in the room, collaborating with CEOs and global business leaders. Rather than letting that discourage her, she uses it as motivation. Experiencing those environments firsthand made her determined to succeed and to help create conditions where other women can as well.

“Mentoring and coaching young women, especially in STEM, is critical to me,” says Laura. When women see others who look like them leading, asking hard questions, and shaping decisions, it changes outcomes. I help young women navigate complex systems (technical, organizational, and human) so they can be successful, advocate for themselves, and drive change themselves.

She credits Gould with playing a foundational role in how she approaches her work today. It wasn’t a specific moment; rather, it was the culture at Gould that she found so impactful.

“There was constant encouragement to try things, ask questions, and stretch yourself, whether in the classroom, on a team, or simply figuring out how to engage with the world,” says Laura. “It prepared me to keep learning, adapting, and growing, no matter where my path led.”

One story in particular shaped Laura’s worldview. It wasn’t in the science labs but rather training on the hill at Sunday River.

“I enjoyed academics, but I was an athlete too, so when I got to Gould, I jumped right in. I played soccer and lacrosse, and was an alpine skier. I didn't ski because I was good at it; in fact, I was the worst on the team. I skied because I wanted to get better, and I knew that by surrounding myself with better skiers, I’d improve. On my first day on the mountain, I decided to jump into a challenging slalom course behind a member of the Men’s U.S. Ski Team. I hit a big hole after the last gate and tore all the ligaments in my thumb. I ended up in a cast for the rest of the season, but I kept skiing and learned how to adapt. I figured out how to work with what I had, even using the cast to help me get through gates.”

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She still gets teased about that story to this day, but it captures something important she learned early on at Gould.

“I learned to take risks, to push myself before I was fully ready, and to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Gould prepared me to think bigger, lead confidently, and understand the impact of my efforts. The habits I built there, resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to stretch, are the same ones I rely on today.”

Encouragement that Endures

Strong mentorship in STEM isn’t just a thing of the past. In fact, today, 80% of Gould’s science faculty are women, providing all STEM students at Gould with positive female role models who can help to eliminate old stereotypes.

Department Chair Ashley Smith has her own story, both of discouragement and support. As a first-year chemistry student at Emmanuel College in Boston, Ashley was excelling. She was one of four students, two male, two female, invited to apply for a prestigious research internship at Harvard Medical School. All four students earned straight A’s, yet Harvard chose the two male students, citing that it was too challenging to have a mixed-gender team in the lab.

Ashley was devastated. She turned to her mentor at Emmanuel, joined her research team, and began tutoring her peers. She gravitated towards helping others and away from the research.

“I hated [the research.] You don’t get to talk to anyone. You do the same thing over and over again, and you rarely see progress. Your goals are three or four years out. But I loved tutoring and teaching. That’s when my goals shifted.”

Ashley eventually graduated first in her class in Chemistry at Emmanuel, then continued on to get her Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. A hurtful comment from a peer in her cohort about becoming just a teacher with her degree disheartened her. Again, she found encouragement from a professor.

“He said to me, ‘You’re not just going to be a teacher. You're going to be an amazing teacher. You could do anything, but you want to be a teacher. That's the difference.”

Fortunately for Gould and its students, that difference, between being minimized and being elevated, has stayed with Ashley throughout her teaching career.

She became a Knowles Fellow, a highly selective program that provides funding, mentorship, and professional development for early-career science teachers. The five-year fellowship fosters a national network of educators who continue to support one another throughout their careers. In Maine, there are only three Knowles Fellows, two of whom teach at Gould. The second is Dr. Kate Roberts ’01, alumna and new addition to the Science Department this year.

“I came back to Gould because it’s where I was first encouraged and supported,” says Kate. “I learned to love science at Gould, and I want to share that passion with students. My daughter is a ninth grader this year, and I want her and her classmates to have the same opportunities that I had.”

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Revealing the True Beauty of STEM

“I believe science is taught by doing science and discovering yourself,” says Ashley. “It's not just: read, multiple choice, done; you know? What do kids want to learn? What do they want to discover? Without buy-in from kids, it’s hard to get them to be fully engaged.”

Ashley explains why the “kill and drill” method of teaching doesn’t happen at Gould, and how students can be curious and have rich experiences in STEM at Gould through hands-on classes like Forensics, Aquatic Ecology, and Science Research, as well as electives and clubs like Engineering and Robotics in the Marlon Family IDEAS Center.

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High school is such a pivotal time. I want to be the person I needed in high school. I can't teach them everything, but I can ignite that spark. - Science Department Chair Ashley Smith

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“Gould is so great at this holistic approach. I get to know students in all aspects of their lives, and not just in class. That really helps you to be a better teacher. You know what they’re going through, you know what their interests are. You can make problems that are relevant to them. You could talk about skiing when discussing velocity, potential energy, and kinetic energy. I didn't have any adults in high school that I trusted or who made me feel excited about the future. High school is such a pivotal time. I want to be the person I needed in high school. I can't teach them everything, but I can ignite that spark.”

Paying it Forward to Future Generations

Since those positive interactions during her ninth- and tenth-grade years, Mallory has resolved to pay it forward to other girls like herself. This spring, she is designing her own “Girls in STEM” day to be held at Gould as part of her Senior Four Point Project on April 17. She’s inviting middle school girls from across the state and is collaborating with the science department on programming for that day.

MIT Climate and Energy Professor, Director of Parsons Laboratory, and Gould trustee Dr. Desirée Plata ’99 will give the keynote address, and the girls will choose from four workshops, ranging from forensic science to a dissection lab. A visit to the world-class Maine Mineral & Gem Museum next door will complete the day.

“Meeting students like Mallory inspires me. I’m honored to be included in her awesome initiative,” says Desirée. “The Gould faculty I experienced were absolutely critical to keeping me excited about science, introducing me to the notion of research, and coaching me to hold on to my voice in STEM. The fact that the Gould students have built and are executing this program is evidence that the educational program and the community at Gould is truly exceptional.”

Mallory hopes to host the conference again next year and inspire other Gould students to carry on the tradition after she graduates.

“I want to encourage young women in STEM, and to let them know they have the support that they need,” says Mallory. “It may not seem like there are many of us, but there are. I learned at that conference last year that when we are young, if we are asked to draw a scientist, we may draw a woman, but as we get older, we are much more likely to envision a man. I think it’s time to break away from that perception and make a new one.”

Today, with 60% of AP STEM students at Gould being girls, strong mentorship and representation are more important than ever. ᨒ↟ 

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Science Department Sidebar: The Dream Team

Gould’s Science Department boasts an exceptional roster of teachers. Department Chair Ashley Smith teaches two sections of Forensics, a highly popular new crime detection offering. Sarah Kamilewicz offers Biology, featuring an abundance of outdoor environmental projects, and introduces students to the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum and its world-class geology lab just steps from campus during their ninth-grade year. Sarah Crockett teaches Aquatic Ecology and spends ample time out of the classroom and in the field, collecting data along the Maine coast and on the lakes and rivers near Bethel. John Henry Paluszek has a Master’s in Botany, teaches rigorous Advanced Placement Biology and Chemistry, and pushes endurance athletes as a competitive Nordic coach. Our newest member, Dr. Kate Roberts ’01, brings twenty years of experience to AP Physics and will offer AP Electromagnetism beginning in fall 2026. Director of the Marlon Family IDEAS Center and our “Maker-in-Residence” Billy Ayotte offers up exciting classes in electric vehicle engineering and ski and snowboard design. Science research is also set to return in 2026, supporting students as they develop projects for the Maine State Science Fair and beyond.