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Free Saturday Workshop for Young Makers: June 2025
Calling all 10 - 15 year olds! Join us for our first FREE Saturday workshop in the LAB! We’ll be learning how to use the laser cutter and wire it up with your own creative flair! Register here or with the QR code!
SPIN Forward Newsletter: May 2025
Mindful Moments in May
This month, we’re turning our focus inward—with a theme centered on self-care for the whole family. As the days grow longer and the pace of life picks up, it’s more important than ever to pause, breathe, and take care of ourselves and one another. In this issue, you’ll find simple tips, gentle reminders, and family-friendly ideas to help everyone in your home feel more balanced, calm, and connected.
Here’s to a May filled with moments of peace and joy!
- Lauren and Jie Ying
Upcoming Events
Lab Day #5
Saturday, May 17th from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Field Day
Saturday, May 31st from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Office Hours + Capstone Dress Rehearsal
Please review the graphic below for dates and RSVP by clicking the button below!
May Monthly Observances
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month
Celebrated in May, this month honors the rich histories, diverse cultures, and significant contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to the United States.
Jewish American Heritage Month
Observed in May, this month recognizes the achievements, culture, and contributions of Jewish Americans to the nation's history and society.
Mental Health Awareness Month
Held each May, this month raises awareness about mental health issues, promotes mental well-being, and encourages support and open dialogue to reduce stigma.
follow us on Instagram to learn more about daily observances this month! @stempathsinnovationnetwork
Self-Care and Wellness
May is Mental Health Awareness month, and with AP Exams and testing season coming up, we want to remind our SPIN youth to take care of themselves during this busy and stressful time. We encourage SPIN youth to try out one of the following tips below to help maintain strong mental health!
Your Monthly Recap
What Did We Learn About?
Lab Day
This month's Lab Day was all about Brainstorming for Capstone Projects!
We focused on introducing capstone projects to each cohort and watching their ideas come to life. Our students are working on a diverse range of projects, including fully sustainable enclosed terrariums, camouflage backpacks, food science innovations, and environmental initiatives aimed at community resilience. They are also exploring sustainable fashion and animal recovery efforts!
Join us on June 7th for our Capstone Showcase! Celebrate the incredible effort our youth have put in this year as they present their final projects to family, friends, and our community. RSVP through the invite sent to your email!
Outdoors is for Everyone! Collab with YWE x Seattle Aquarium
We had an amazing day with a smaller group of youth connecting with the Young Women Empowered community — including their youth, mentors, and staff.
The day began with tidepooling at the beach, followed by singing songs, creating cyanotype art, and ended with a short hike through the beautiful Seahurst Park. Those who arrived extra early got a magical surprise — a chance to see orcas passing by!
Riddle of the Month!
Here we are, coming to sunnier days,
Where I take flight in warm, golden rays.
I greet every being with kindness and cheer,
And leave behind gifts they've been waiting to appear.
Youth Testimonials
During our next few office hours in May, we will be asking students who are dropping in to participate in a short interview for youth testimonials! They will be asked the questions similar to those in the graphics below and may be recorded and have their responses shared on our website or Instagram. If your youth is interested in preparing beforehand, then they can visit the form below to learn more and submit their response.
Keeping Up with the SPIN Girls Team!
Meet 9th Grade Mentor: Gabby Jackson!
Introduce yourself a little:
Hi, my name is Gabby Jackson! I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and where I went to Lakeside High School. I later attended Rice University in Houston, Texas where I obtained my Bachelor’s in computer science. During my undergraduate years, I was heavily involved with STEM outreach and empowerment. I was on the executive board of my university’s National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and started a club called RemixCS that partnered with different high schools in the Houston area to teach students about computer science. Our club made weekly visits to high schools to host engaging coding activities, work with technology and IT teachers to expand their curriculums, and provide academic and career preparation. Essentially, RemixCS offered enrichment that reinforced and broadened the knowledge of students.
After my graduation in 2020, I moved to the Greater Seattle area to work for Google! I have been living here since and enjoy what the Pacific Northwest Area has to offer. Outside of work, I enjoy baking sweet treats, watching TV (my favorite show is 90 Day Fiance), and reading (my last read was called Bad Blood, which is about the Theranos scandal). I also love spending time with my tuxedo named Alala whom I adopted from a rescue shelter.
What is your current job?
I currently work for Google as a software engineer in the Google cloud storage team. Prior to this position, I was a site reliability engineer working under the Persistent Disk team at Google. During my time as a site reliability engineer, I primarily monitored my team’s services to ensure they were running reliably and effectively. If there were issues with any Google services or systems, I was responsible for responding to and resolving them.
Now as a software engineer, my focus has shifted from monitoring Google services and systems to creating new features for them. I regularly collaborate with other team members like product and UX designers to build and review new features. Collaboration is essential to ensure needs are met, features are technically sound, and platforms outside of Google are able to support these upcoming features. In addition, I regularly write and test code so that they are reliable and do what they are expected. I continue to monitor Google services and systems but at a smaller scale and on individual parts like the new features and codes.
To give more insight about these features, they revolve around the Google cloud storage and its security and storing and transferring data in it. Monitoring and updating these features are necessary to protect the privacy and security of data stored by users such as daily, individual users and also large-scale customers like businesses, enterprises, and companies. Although I cannot share in great detail about the features I’m currently working on, me and my team are working on authentication. This will improve the reliability and security of the Google cloud storage by ensuring that people have access to what they are supposed to have access to and that other people don’t have unauthorized access.
How did you choose your career path?
In high school, I initially wanted to become a veterinarian or doctor. I considered engineering as a career path, but I wasn’t too interested because I was only aware of mechanical engineering at the time, which didn’t really resonate with me except for its analytic and building aspects. Even though I thought I wanted to be in medicine, I still wanted to explore other STEM options. This led me to take an AP Computer Science class during my senior year. Prior to this class, I didn’t know anything about computer science. However, after this class, I discovered my love for this subject. While this was exciting, this also meant a dilemma between choosing medicine or computer science.
Ultimately, by sophomore year of university, I decided I wanted to fully pursue computer science. I came to this decision through spending a lot of time asking and talking to people who were pre-med majors, doctors, and other healthcare professionals. A message I received that significantly shifted me towards computer science was this: “if you can see yourself doing anything else, then medicine might not be for you.” This made me realize that I could genuinely envision myself in computer science because I enjoyed the attention to detail, challenge of figuring things out, and the freedom and creativity of coding.
After completing two internships at Google and another at Microsoft during my undergraduate years, these experiences and that message gave me the confidence to pivot away from medicine and to computer science. In addition, with lots of self-reflection, I concluded that medicine was not necessarily a passion like computer science and I didn’t want to go through more years of schooling to become a veterinarian or doctor.
Since my university graduation in 2020, I have no regrets with my decision. I think a lesson from my story is to spend time self-reflecting on what career truly aligns with what you enjoy and want. Additionally, during this process of deciding, actively seek out personal experiences and insight from people in your interested careers. Moreover, if you end up settling on a career that is highly competitive like computer science, don’t be discouraged! If you are passionate, then it’s worth pursuing. Just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it.
What are some challenges that you have encountered in your academic journey or career?
When I was pursuing my computer science degree in university, I placed a lot of pressure on myself because computer science was an entirely new and different subject to me. I always did well with academics in high school, succeeding in challenging classes like biology and math, but when it came to computer science, I struggled with grasping its concepts and content immediately. I wasn’t like many of my other peers who already had years of experience or an established foundation in computer science and I felt the pressure to catch up. I recognized that I wasn’t naturally gifted at computer science, but I continued to persevere and become good, confident, and proud of my work and skills in computer science. This took a long time and lots of patience, but throughout this process, I was consistent and slowly but surely progressing.
I now have trust in my competency in computer science after building this confidence up, and this has helped me stand firm and stay chill when I receive hurtful comments from my colleagues in the workplace. I remind myself that the words and actions of others do not reflect who I am, but are a reflection of who they are, and feelings of being an “imposter” is not necessarily because of me, but because of my current workplace is part of a STEM field that has historically and systematically excluded women or people of color.
Aside from these personal challenges I’ve encountered during my academic and professional career, the introduction of AI into the computer science fields and all other fields could become a potential challenge. I’m personally not too worried about AI yet and more curious about learning about the ethics of AI and who is responsible for what AI puts out. It’s interesting to observe how far we will let AI go, what boundaries we will set, and whether AI can develop its own conscience.
What future goals do you have?
One career goal that I’m working hard in progressing towards is becoming a senior engineer. A senior engineer is similar to being a manager such that I will be managing and delegating work to team members. However, I want to be a manager because it offers the opportunity to mentor younger engineers. I personally enjoy mentoring others, which is why I’m involved with SPIN Girls and started RemixCS in university, and assisting with each individual’s personal and professional development. Just as I’ve received invaluable advice from professionals, instructors, and mentors in the past, I want to step into a position where I can be a giver of resources and insight for the younger generation and students.
Aside from this career goal, my personal goals include traveling more, such as Japan and Italy, to experience new cultures and broaden my worldview. I’m also currently taking classes to become proficient in Spanish, which I hope to use in my interactions with others during traveling. In addition, another goal I have is to spend more time outdoors hiking and exploring the beauties in Washington!
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
I would describe myself as curious because I always like to ask questions and learn new things. For instance, whenever I’m on my phone, it’s usually because I’m searching something up on Google and reading in depth about it on Wikipedia. Another word that describes me is courageous. Although it is uncomfortable to step outside of my comfort zone, I’m not afraid to try new things. I’m brave enough to be bad at something and I will try my hardest to learn new skills even if it takes a couple of tries. Lastly, I would describe myself as caring. I actively try to find ways to invest in the people around me and the community because I want to support others in reaching their successes. In addition, I believe in treating others the way you want to be treated, which is a belief that I try my best to do.
What motivated you to join SPIN Girls?
My experience with STEM outreach in university instilled in me the desire to continue pursuing efforts that contribute to bringing STEM enrichment to youth in my community. After moving to the Greater Seattle area, I found out about the SPIN organization and its unique mission. Wanting to mentor and support youth in their STEM exploration, I joined the SPIN Girls program. Seeing how over the years this program fosters opportunities, connections, and friendships, exposure to varying STEM fields, and soft skills like teamwork, communication, and asking questions helped SPIN youth grow in their confidence and knowledge excites me to continue volunteering for SPIN Girls. SPIN is not just a cool organization, but it has an inspiring and empowering mission.
What are you most looking forward to this year in SPIN Girls?
Most definitely the capstone projects! Each capstone project gives insight into each youth’s progression from the start to the end of the school year and their individual creativity and knowledge, which is encouraging and personally makes me feel immensely proud. Each youth has learned a lot from each Lab Day and having it all culminated in one final project is a great accomplishment that reflects individual growth and expression.
What advice would you give to current SPIN Girls students?
Generally, I would say to not be afraid. Be brave and courageous; take advantage of the opportunities and resources that SPIN has to offer! Don’t be afraid to ask questions or try new things because SPIN is a unique and safe space where learning and trying new things are encouraged and fostered. If you want to present something, then present it. If you want to try a new technology or method, then ask your cohort leads. If you want to learn more about someone’s job, then ask them. SPIN is different from your school; SPIN is a community where all your peers are interested in STEM just like you and support for one another is emphasized.
See you next month!
-Your Newsletter Social Butterflies 🦋
SPIN Forward Newsletter: April 2025
Spring into April
I’m writing this email from a cozy local coffee shop, where the sun is shining, and cherry blossoms are in full bloom—a beautiful reminder that spring has finally arrived.
Spring is a season of renewal and refreshment. After the long winter, we welcome the return of greenery, sunshine, and the vibrant energy of nature. Animals emerge from hibernation, pollinators resume their essential work, and the world around us bursts back to life.
As humans, we often see ourselves as separate from nature, but in reality, we are deeply connected. Like the plants and animals around us, we grow, evolve, and continuously strive to better ourselves—both individually and as a community.
Here’s to embracing growth and new beginnings together!
- Lauren and Jie Ying
Upcoming Events
SPIN Hangout #3
Friday, April 11th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Lab Day #4
Saturday, April 19th from 10:00pm to 1:00pm
Optional Field Day: Tide Pooling
Saturday, April 26th from 9:30am to 2:30pm
*Cap of 10 Youth!*
Fun Family Friendly Events!
Your Monthly Recap
March was a busy month for SPIN Forward - we had many exciting events including another hangout, lab day and a field day! Youth really brought the energy this month thinking creatively and learning fun new skills.
What Did We Learn About?
Mood Board Hangout
Our 6th/7th grade cohort lead, Jaidyn, hosted an amazing hangout workshop! We gathered to create our own mood boards, each showcasing our unique personalities and aesthetics. It was so much fun exploring 70s National Geographicmagazines, repurposing old fabrics, and even experimenting with leather! Creativity brought us together—join us at our next hangout!
Lab Day
6th/7th Grade: Hydroponic Systems – Students explored gardening by designing and building their own hydroponic systems, learning about sustainable food production.
8th Grade Biomimicry: Beeswax Wraps – Inspired by nature, students created reusable beeswax wraps as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic, applying biomimicry principles to everyday sustainability.
9th Grade: Canning Strawberries – Students learned the art of food preservation by canning fresh strawberries, gaining hands-on experience in sustainable food storage techniques.
10th Grade: Green Building Design – Students got into sustainable architecture, designing eco-friendly building plans that incorporate energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.
Field Day
We were so happy to have 91 SPIN youth and families join us for our field day at the Seattle Aquarium! It was an incredible experience as youth explored three engaging stations: learning about the Ocean Pavilion, conducting Plankton Tows, using microscopes to identify the plankton they sampled, and enjoying a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Window on Washington Waters exhibit. A huge thank you to everyone who participated! We look forward to hosting more family events in the future.
Riddle of the Month!
I come as an early surprise,
Sneaking up on you in disguise.
You might believe what I say is true,
But beware... I may be tricking you!
Youth Testimonials
Do you want to share about your experiences in SPIN Forward so far? Then you are in the right place! Fill out this Google form, and we will feature your testimonial on our Instagram and/or website. We want highlight more of our amazing SPIN Forward youth, so this is a great opportunity for the community to learn more about you and SPIN Forward!
Click Here to Submit Responses!
Keeping Up with the SPIN Girls Team!
Meet 9th Grade Mentor: Lynette Shiroma
Introduce yourself a little:
Hi, my name is Lynette Shiroma, and I’m a lead project engineer at Boeing! I specifically work in risk mitigation and material obsolescence. Material obsolescence is the process where materials become outdated, no longer available, or no longer suitable for use due to factors like technological advancements, changes in regulations, or a decline in demand. This means that as a project engineer, I need to ensure that if materials become obsolete, there are alternative replacements so that planes can continue flying safely. A successful project requires an intense amount of coordination and collaboration with many different people: design engineers, materials or chemical engineers, supply chain and procurement analysts, and environmental engineers.
I grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii as a fourth generation Japanese American and graduated from the University of Hawaii with a degree in mechanical engineering. I moved to Washington in 2009 for my first job at Boeing soon after graduation. After spending close to a decade working for Boeing, I worked for different aerospace companies for 3 years in both Washington State and California. However, I moved back to Washington to start working for Boeing again, which is also when I started mentoring in SPIN Girls.
I enjoy volunteering in STEM advocacy and in worker rights advocacy. Recently, I won an election to become vice president for my union (Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace), which has been an exciting experience! In my free time, I also enjoy watching soccer like the Premier League and women’s soccer, doing informational reading like reading textbooks, reading about psychology, or other nonfiction topics, and hanging out with my dog, a jack russell terrier mix.
What is your current job?
In Boeing, there are 6 levels of engineers. Currently, I’m at Level 4 as a senior engineer who has many years of experience in the industry, often involved with leading projects and mentoring junior engineers, and knowledgeable in a broad range of topics. One of the projects I’m leading is managing the impacts of 3M’s end of manufacturing PFAS by the end of 2025 on some Boeing products, ensuring alternates are ready under an aggressive deadline.
What are some challenges you have experienced in your job?
A challenge that I have faced is experiencing gender discrimination in my workplace from male co-workers. There is often this rosy picture of wanting more diverse perspectives from women, BIPOC, and other minorities in STEM, but this is not always the reality in certain workplaces or industries. Although I was experiencing gender discrimination, my male co-workers didn’t believe me.
This was because I didn’t have the proper documentation at the time to prove I was experiencing gender discrimination. That meant I also didn’t take legal action, especially since this company, like many other companies, has ready access to legal resources to make it seem like this is not what was happening. If I knew how to document better, then I would have tried to expose this issue. I didn’t, so the best I could do was leave that job. Looking back, I find it strange that information about how to document workplace discrimination was not readily accessible.
However, now as a union officer, I want to make efforts towards minimizing this issue by raising awareness and making resources available. During this time, I relied on an organization called Society of Women Engineers who provided guidance on my situation. Their support showed me that having a community of people who can understand your difficult challenges and bring encouragement and comfort is so crucial to having success in any pursuit or career. Your gender or any part of your identity should not discourage you from working in a field if you truly love it.
Another challenge I’ve found related to my job is the difficulty of entering the job market. I’m extremely grateful that I was offered a job right out of college, especially during the Great Recession, but I understand some of my peers at the time were not. While this was a challenging period of time, this challenge of landing a job has not changed in recent times. In many cases, they now want at least one to two years of intern experience for an entry level job in the aerospace industry. Furthermore, it is common to have massive layoffs every 8 to 10 years across many companies in this industry, which I’m fortunate to not have experienced.
Despite all of this instability and unpredictability, don’t be discouraged. A professor once told me that you should take a job because you love the work, not necessarily because of how stable it is at the time. This is because employers can tell when your heart may not be fully in it for the love of the work, which will impact your job stability more than your talent. Therefore, pursue what you love, and do it wholeheartedly.
What are some things you like about your job?
There are definitely amazing things about my job that I enjoy. For instance, I’m sort of a “unicorn engineer,” which is a cooler way of saying that I’m an engineer with enough experience and expertise to work anywhere. Because I’m familiar with all the parts in the product life cycle, I can work in areas like manufacturing, design, or testing and use my knowledge to innovate and accelerate progress. Also, because of my seniority and years of experience, I can mentor junior engineers, which are always exciting opportunities I look forward to!
Another aspect of my job I enjoy is being able to bring a collaborative and open approach to leading projects. My leadership approach is not exclusively delegating work, but a mix of leading and listening. There is a tendency for leaders to dictate how projects should be, but I personally believe all team members should have a voice in projects. Everyone is working together to problem solve rather than completing what someone dictates, which makes the experience more enjoyable for everyone involved.
What future goals do you have?
A career goal I have is to always try out new experiences and learn new things. Being curious has given me a better understanding of my identity, boundaries, and preferences. For instance, five years ago, I was in a dilemma of choosing to advance into becoming a lead engineer or advance into becoming an engineer manager. In my current Level 4 of engineering at Boeing, people rarely advance to this level because it requires years of experience, company level influence, and executive management support. Since my level upgrade was stalled, I accepted the opportunity to do a temporary assignment as an engineering manager.
Turns out, I didn’t really enjoy being in this management position because it wasn't centered around employee development and it was more about running the business. While this experience didn’t end with being enthusiastic about it, I discovered by trying out new things what my preferences are. What I learned about myself and my work through this experience also encouraged me to become more involved with my union. Subsequently, I began pursuing opportunities in my union to help guide other people to be successful in work and their careers: how to find the right career path, how to advance in a career, how to deal with a difficult boss, and more. Being involved with my union allowed me to assist with employee development outside of my small workgroup.
Now as the vice president for my union, I want to continue following the other part of my career goal, which is learning new things. I’m so excited to learn all about what it takes to be a good union officer and to bring support to workers.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
I would describe myself as compassionate, ethical, and headstrong, which also means determined or resilient. This is because these are the characteristics of servant leadership. This type of leadership leads without glory and is humble, kind, and honest. Leading like this is essential to having people who enjoy working with or for you. It also leaves a positive impression on others and results in many people looking up to you and wanting to stay connected. This concept in Hawaii Is also called “Living Pono” or living in harmony with one's self, community and the earth that sustains us.
What motivated you to join SPIN Girls?
I’m always looking for opportunities to help women in their journey into STEM or even deciding if STEM is for them. Although it is less common now, when I was in school during the early 2000s, there were negative stereotypes about women who pursue STEM. There were some people who made unnecessary comments like “you got your job because you're a woman” or “women who are smart aren’t attractive.” Having more representation of women in STEM allows us to have the power to overcome those stereotypes and find our community of allies and champions.
This is why I joined SPIN Girls: I want to contribute towards being a role model that students can look up to. When students see people who look like them do work that is not traditional or expected of them, it inspires students and gives them the strength to ignore negative stereotypes or comments discouraging them from pursuing that work. Therefore, exposure to diverse representation is important so that students believe nothing should hold them back from pursuing something they want to.
What are you most looking forward to this year in SPIN Girls?
I’m excited to see students’ capstone projects! I’m always amazed by the amount of creativity and artistic abilities students bring to their projects despite how technical it may be. In addition, I’m looking forward to watching students grow in confidence and into successful leaders as I’ve seen with the current 11th grade SPIN Fellows.
What advice would you give to current SPIN Girls students?
Don't be afraid of being yourself and having a brand that is different from the others around you. Many successes you could potentially achieve can only be unlocked if you embrace yourself, including your differences and uniqueness. In addition, I highly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities to network with others, such as with mentors, cohort leads, and other SPIN staff plus professionals you meet through field days. Even if you find out you do not like STEM, these connections, especially SPIN mentors, can remain helpful guides and resources. Furthermore, SPIN and its people are a community that you can rely on. There might be a tendency to feel isolated or alone, but use SPIN to express your feelings and talk through issues. We, mentors, are here to support you to succeed, be happy, and learn!
See you next month!
-Your Newsletter Social Butterflies 🦋
Lauren Canto (she/her)
SPIN Girls Program Coordinator
10th Grade Cohort Lead
Jie Ying (she/her)
SPIN Girls Co-Director of Social Media
8th Grade Cohort Lead
SPIN Forward Newsletter: March 2025
MARCHing Closer to Spring!
March is here, bringing us one step closer to the warmth and renewal of spring! I always find joy in the soothing sound of the rain as it gently taps against the trees and the pavement, a reminder of nature’s rhythm. The rain nourishes the soil, refreshing the earth and making way for the beauty of springtime to bloom.
This month is packed with exciting opportunities to learn, grow, and celebrate together! We’re kicking off March by honoring Women’s History Month, recognizing the incredible contributions of women throughout history and within our community. Plus, we have some fantastic events lined up, including Lab Day, where we’ll dive into Capstone planning, Field Day, an exciting adventure exploring the incredible wonders of our oceans, and a special Hangout, a chance to relax, connect, and showcase who you truly are—inside and out!
There’s so much to look forward to, and we can’t wait to experience it all with you. Stay tuned for more details on these upcoming events, and let’s make March a month to remember!
Upcoming Events
SPIN Hangout #2
Friday, March 7th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Lab Day #3
Saturday, March 15th from 9:00am to 1:00pm
Field Day #4
February 15th 9:20-1:30 p.m.
So much to celebrate in March!
March is a month of reflection, celebration, and spiritual observance, marked by significant events across different communities.
Women’s History Month
March is dedicated to honoring the achievements and contributions of women throughout history. It highlights their struggles and successes in fields such as science, politics, arts, and social activism. This month serves as a reminder of the progress made toward gender equity while recognizing the ongoing efforts needed for true equality.
Ramadan
Starting at the end of February, Ramadan is a sacred month in Islam, observed by Muslims worldwide. It is a time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. From dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking, focusing on spiritual growth and self-discipline. Acts of charity, kindness, and strengthening bonds with loved ones are central to this period.
Eid al-Fitr
Marking the end of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr—the "Festival of Breaking the Fast"—is a joyous celebration. Muslims come together for special prayers, festive meals, and charitable giving. Families and friends exchange gifts and express gratitude, embracing the spirit of generosity and unity.
Lent
Lent is a 40-day Christian observance leading up to Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Saturday. It commemorates Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert and emphasizes self-discipline, prayer, and repentance. Many Christians use this time for spiritual reflection and sacrifice, often giving up certain foods or habits to deepen their faith.
March Madness
March Madness is the annual NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament, held every March and April. It’s an elimination tournament featuring 68 men’s and 68 women’s college basketball teams competing for a national championship title. The tournament is known for its unpredictability, upsets, and buzzer-beaters, making it one of the most exciting events in sports.
Recap of Field Day #3
We jumped straight into our second lab day filled with exciting and hands-on activities! It was incredible to see the creativity of the youth shine as we explored their potential as both amazing artists and brilliant scientists.
What Did We Learn About?
Institute for Community Leadership
6th, 7th, and 8th Grade: We traveled to the Institute for Community Leadership, where we learned how to care for ourselves and others in the outdoors. Working together, we practiced tying knots, built a raft, and even helped care for the farm animals on the property! We ended the day with s'mores and a campfire!
Blue Origin
9th and 10th Grade: We visited Blue Origin where we got a firsthand look at careers in aerospace. Youth explored the Engineering Design Process by improvising and building their own rovers! The day wrapped up with a career talk, where staff shared their career paths and advice for youth interested in pursuing aerospace engineering.
Riddle of the Month!
I swim in waters, deep and wide,
Dreams and secrets are where I hide.
Emotional, gentle, creative too,
A pair of fish—who am I to you?
Keeping Up with the SPIN Girls Team!
8th Grade Mentor: Michelle McKeag
Introduce yourself a little:
Hi, my name is Michelle McKeag, and I am an Enterprise Data Architect with the King County government. I grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and went to University City High School. This high school was unique because it was situated in the vicinity of universities like the University of Pennsylvania and it had an elite math and science magnet program. I was part of this program and genuinely enjoyed it because of the specialized and advanced math and science classes. In addition, because this program had a small cohort, I got to build friendships with, work with, and learn from people who were also passionate about math and science.
After I graduated high school, I went into the informational technology (IT) workfield. While working, I went to night school and got an associates degree. Because IT is an ever-evolving field, I stay up to date about the latest technologies by continuously learning and gaining advanced certifications.
Throughout my career I’ve lived and worked in several cities throughout the U.S. I’ve lived in Dallas in Texas, Cleveland in Ohio, San Francisco-Bay Area in California, and now Seattle in Washington. I moved here in 1994 because I had friends who lived in Washington who suggested that it was a great state in which to live. I ended up feeling the same way because I’ve lived here ever since.
What is your current job?
In my job as an Enterprise Data Architect, I am responsible for designing databases to contain King County’s criminal justice data. My role is crucial in handling criminal justice data and ensuring data quality, security, and accessibility. I achieve this by regularly working with clients, such as agencies that manage the jails, the prosecutor’s office, and the courts, while building databases and reporting solutions. These clients may request reports on things like; how many people are arrested, the movement of people in jail, what the criminal record or history of a person is, and other things requiring access to criminal justice data. This shows the importance of databases and how the front-end of an application needs to properly retrieve information stored in the back-end of an application, in order to maximize efficiency while creating these reports.
The front-end of an application is the client side, focusing more on visuals, user experience (UX), and functionality. Examples of this are navigation menus and buttons, interactive elements like search bars and sliders, and responsive design for different screen sizes. On the contrary, the back-end of an application is the server side, focusing more on data storage, retrieval, and security. While the front-end is visible to the user or client, the back-end is not but is still crucial in processing requests from the front-end, interactions with databases, and smooth system operations. When databases are not properly designed, there can be performance issues, data inconsistency, scalability challenges, and security risks. Therefore, it is essential to have strong organizational and problem-solving skills and a careful attention to detail during the creation and maintenance of databases.
What future goals do you have?
I have been in the IT field for about 40 years now, and I’ve decided it’s time to move on to new and different types of challenges. When I was younger, I certainly enjoyed the constant cycle of learning upcoming and novel technologies. Every five years or so, there are shifts in the IT field where we transition from old programs and approaches to new ones that force workers to learn and adapt in order to be successful.
For instance, before our current era of cloud computing people relied on on-premises infrastructure, including physical servers, data centers, and local storage. However, now with cloud computing, people can access these computing services like servers, storage, databases, networking, and software over the internet or virtually. As another example, programming languages come and go. I started out using COBOL, PL/1, and DB2. Now C#, Python, and T-SQL are the norm. Learning new languages and processes has given me a rewarding and challenging career, however I am looking forward to the new and different challenges that retirement can bring.
I hope to start traveling more and learning more languages to broaden my worldview and cultural understanding. In addition, I want to continue my hobbies of sewing and arts and crafts, which I do for personal enjoyment and also as a way to share gifts with family, friends, and loved ones. I may even start a YouTube channel to share my experiences and expertise in working with databases since many people don’t realize how much of an effect databases and their accuracy (or lack thereof) can have on their everyday lives.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
My three words to describe myself would be diligent, dependable, and poised. Throughout my career, I have distinguished myself as diligent/hard-working by keeping up with the latest technologies in my field, consistently producing good work, and developing strong communication and collaboration skills. Despite the challenges, I persist. I am dependable not only in my professional life, but also in my personal obligations. I always strive to keep my promises and commitments as evidenced by the fact that I have been a SPIN girls mentor for the last four years. I know that others know, they can count on me. Lastly, due to recent emergencies in my life, I am reminded that my superpower is poise. I can remain calm and composed in a crisis.
What motivated you to join SPIN Girls?
I have previously done volunteer work that is similar to SPIN Girls, which is teaching young students programming. I taught students remotely how to use Scratch who then applied their skills in a final capstone project like creating a game. In addition, I helped fix any issues and offered suggestions on how to make their software better. While I enjoyed working with the youth, I recognized that I was more passionate about back-end databases than front-end programming. Furthermore, I wanted to teach more girls and people of color and be a helpful resource to them as a mentor. This led me to SPIN Girls four years ago, and I have been with them since then!
Aside from SPIN Girls, I have found other ways to support girls and people of color by giving talks to local organizations that focus on uplifting these groups of people like Project Girl in North Seattle. In that particular experience, I was a panelist that talked to young ladies about job interviews and professional development. I explained to them what to expect, how to answer basic questions, roleplayed as an interviewer, and gave general career preparation advice.
What are you most looking forward to this year in SPIN Girls?
In my first two years with SPIN Girls, I remembered how one to two students were assigned a mentor in each cohort. While I personally connected well with my mentees, I understand that sometimes these assignments do not always work out, and that is totally okay. However, with the new structure where mentors get to flow freely among students, I’ve gotten to interact with a wide range of students in each cohort. With this in mind, I am excited to continue bonding with the students in my 8th grade cohort. Furthermore, I would love to go to Mount St. Helens this summer for the SPIN retreat!
What advice would you give to current SPIN Girls students?
Continue with the program! From what I’ve heard and observed, people who have gone through the whole program have found it enjoyable and rewarding. It can be incredibly tempting to sleep-in during early Saturday morning, but SPIN Girls offers many great opportunities to learn new things and have fun doing it.
Have you heard about our Fellows Program?
SPIN Fellows supports SPIN Girls graduates in 11th & 12th grade in achieving their college and/or career goals. SPIN Fellows empowers SPIN Girls with individualized support and resources, building on the trusted relationships they have fostered with their fellow SPIN Girls, mentors, & SPIN staff members. The highly individualized nature of this program makes it unique among other college & career preparation programs.
Students who graduate from SPIN Girls are invited to apply for SPIN Fellows in the Spring of their 10th grade year. 10 Fellows are accepted based on their commitment to SPIN Girls and their interest in pursuing a STEM career.
The SPIN Fellows juniors and seniors partnered with the First Tech Credit union to learn more about financial literacy. We talked all about the best budgeting, spending, and credit card practices! This will be an important skill for college and beyond, so it was great for the youth to learn real life skills that will benefit their futures!
That's all for now folks!
-Your Newsletter Social Butterflies 🦋
SPIN Girls Newsletter: February 2025
Gearing Up for'Pal'entine's Day!
The shortest month of the year is here, but it’s packed with so much to love. February brings us cozy winter days, bursts of kindness for Valentine’s Day, and the promise of spring just around the corner. It’s a wonderful time to celebrate love, friendship, and togetherness with family and your favorite pals. Whether you’re crafting Valentine cards, enjoying hot cocoa by the fire, or venturing outside for some fresh air, February is the perfect month to embrace life’s little joys.
Love and friendship are in the air this February—and so are some amazing updates! We’ve hidden a love-inspired riddle inside. Can you find it? Don’t ghost your newsletter besties—give it a read!
Here’s to a fun and heartwarming February!
Upcoming Events
Field Day #3
February 15th 9:20-1:30 p.m.
February is Black History Month!
Black History Month is a time to celebrate and honor the rich history, achievements, and contributions of Black individuals and communities throughout history. It serves as a powerful reminder that the United States was built on the backs of Black individuals, whose resilience, culture, and strength have shaped the nation in countless ways. However, it is also important to recognize that slavery played a foundational role in the country's growth, yet those enslaved and their descendants were never afforded the benefits of the wealth they helped create. This month highlights both the remarkable contributions and the ongoing fight for equity and justice,.
Recap of Lab Day #2
We jumped straight into our second lab day filled with exciting and hands-on activities! It was incredible to see the creativity of the youth shine as we explored their potential as both amazing artists and brilliant scientists.
What Did We Learn About?
6th and 7th Grade: Youth got hands-on experience learning about hydroponic systems and their role in sustainable agriculture! They designed their own hydroponic systems and kept journals to document the growth and development of their plants over time. Thanks to their incredible efforts, we now have a thriving sustainable garden at SPIN HQ!
8th Grade: Youth participated in workshop was centered around camouflage and its various forms. Youth engaged in an activity where they selected an animal and its environment, then painted on a canvas to make the animal blend seamlessly into its surroundings, while also explaining the type of camouflage they used.
9th Grade: Youth dove into the world of food safety with an exciting opportunity to take the food safety test! They also learned the best ways to organize fridge items like pros, ensuring everyone stays safe and healthy. It was an engaging and practical learning experience!
10th Grade: We engaged in a meaningful conversation about climate change and its effects on our communities. The discussion included the impact of the LA Fires on all of us and ways we can use our voices to push for change. The 10th graders expressed their creativity by designing posters to raise awareness about environmental issues. Additionally, we learned how to make beeswax wraps—an eco-friendly and food-safe alternative to plastic wrap!
Our First SPIN Forward Hangout!
What a fun evening! We spent the night learning how to use the heat press, ironing on our own patches to personalize hoodies and tote bags, all while watching The Lorax. The youth were so inspired by the creativity that they even made their own keychains! It was a blast sharing pizza and learning together through trial and error. We truly appreciated their patience and flexibility as we navigated the new equipment.
Love Our Events?
Don't miss this great youth event hosted by our partner, Y-WE!
Riddle of the Month!
I carry a bow and arrows to share,
I make people fall in love everywhere.
Though small and sneaky, my aim is true,
Who am I, bringing love to you?
Keeping Up with the SPIN Girls Team!
Meet 8th Grade Mentor: Nada Naser
Introduce yourself a little:
Hi, my name is Nada Naser, and I’m a Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington (UW)! This winter is my first quarter in this position, and I am currently teaching chemical engineering thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that focuses on the relationship between heat, work, temperature, and energy and my class focuses on phase and chemical reaction equilibria. It is crucial in understanding how energy is transferred or moved around us, like in engines, pumps, refrigerators, power plants, and more.
I grew up in Egypt and moved to the United States at the age of 17 through a scholarship to study Chemical Engineering at Montana State University. This significant transition allowed me to experience new and different cultures, environments, and people! After earning my B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2019, I started my graduate studies at UW in Seattle. Later on, I earned my M.S degree. in 2022 and Ph.D. degree in 2024 in Chemical Engineering and recently transitioned into my current role as a faculty member in the department.
During my time as a graduate student, my research project focused on the mineralization of inorganic nanomaterials using programmable and stimuli-responsive biological building blocks (for example: proteins, peptides, or synthetic analogs). More specifically, I studied the mechanisms and structure of mineralized materials at the interface of organic and inorganic components using surface characterization techniques and microscopy. Although this may seem like a lot of intimidating words, in essence, this project is an example of biomimicry at a very small scale. My research work mimicked biomineralization, which is a process carried out by living organisms to create rigid minerals using resources in their environment for support or function. This can be seen in shellfish, like clams and oysters, that produce inorganic minerals to create their protective shells. This can also be seen in humans (our skeleton and teeth). Overall, there are a variety of applications for biomimetic mineralization such as in energy storage systems, removing pollutants, and fighting climate change.
The transition from your home in Egypt to the United States is a major change; what general advice would you give for those in a similar situation?
When I first arrived in the U.S., it was a learning and adjustment process. I had to learn the community and cultural habits and norms like how to interact with people and how to make friends and try new experiences. Although the transition was somewhat frustrating at times, I grew to like U.S. culture, really enjoy the beautiful PNW, and cherish the community I have built here. I think if anyone is in a similar situation and is facing major changes or challenges, I would remind them that we are stronger and more resilient than we think. My advice would be to approach these challenges one day at a time with persistence and lightheartedness, and to reach out to our friends and community for support, and hopefully we will feel less overwhelmed or fearful over time.
What is your current job?
Currently, I am teaching core chemical engineering courses and managing a shared teaching and research instrument facility at the University of Washington. Through my Ph.D. research experience, I have gained both technical and research skills that I often share with my students to support them, help them solve problems, and to be a helpful resource. In addition, I share valuable approaches and strategies with my students to learn and succeed in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. When I am not teaching or doing research, I enjoy hobbies like hiking, yoga, crafts, hanging out with friends, binge watching shows, and more!
What other community programs are you involved in?
During my graduate school, I have been really involved as an outreach director for Women in Chemical Engineering (WChE), which is a student organization at UW that educates, empowers, and advocates for aspiring young women in my field, and has multiple chapters at different universities across the U.S.! WChE-UW hosts an annual community event series called “Introduce a Girl” where young girls and gender expansive folks from local elementary to high schools get to explore different STEM fields. Each year, there is a theme that guides demonstrations, hands-on activities, and interactive experiments during these events. For instance, in 2023, it was green technology, and in 2022, it was biotechnology. You can learn more about WChE by clicking here! Aside from this, I have also been a guest speaker/lecturer for different courses at UW, as well as my participation in mentorship programs to provide insights to undergraduate students about research and career/graduate school advice.
What future goals do you have?
One of my goals, which has been my career and lifelong goal, is to continue advocating for women and non-binary folks, in addition to other underrepresented groups and minorities, in STEM and other fields. Throughout the course of my career, I have developed a strong track record of teaching and mentoring, and without a doubt, I want to continue this as long as I can. I want to be a helpful resource of guidance, knowledge, and empowerment to young girls and women in all fields.
Another one of my future goals is to travel more. I want to explore and experience the diversities of the world. Travel helps with building a stronger global awareness and greater appreciation for or understanding of different cultures, nature, places, and people, which are things that I want to develop to help me better connect with others. With that in mind, I want to ensure that I travel with environmental conscience and sustainability in mind.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Hmm, this is a challenging question, but the three words I would describe myself with are funny, smart, and kind. Being funny is a trait that I picked up from my dad who showed me how humor can bring cheerfulness to and help ease stressful situations. This approach of being funny and lighthearted helps with building stronger communities and bringing people closer together.
Smart sort of speaks for itself; I have a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, and when people hear that they tell me I must be really smart! Lastly, I am a kind person, and I strive to be kind whenever possible. I think being mean or rude to people doesn’t solve anything and can cause divide and conflict, so it’s always best to treat people with kindness and respect. In addition, kindness is what reduces divisions in our community and strengthens it.
What motivated you to join SPIN Girls?
As I discussed earlier, my lifelong goal is to advocate for and mentor young girls and other underrepresented groups in STEM. While I got a start on this by being part of WChE at UW, I wanted to branch out and connect with different communities outside of UW. Through mutual friends and connections, I found out about SPIN Girls and was eager to join. This is because SPIN Girls aligned with this goal of mine and offered me the opportunity to work in youth education, which is a truly powerful and inspiring field of work.
Through programs like SPIN Girls, I’ve seen how young girls have been empowered and inspired to pursue possibilities that they previously thought were impossible, too challenging, or out of reach for them. By introducing good role models and engaging activities, demonstrations, or workshops, young girls are more confident in their abilities in pursuing careers outside of the traditional or expected ones.
One thing that I enjoy the most about SPIN Girls is how we emphasize the importance of building community and relationships. This program is more than just a classroom for students to learn; it’s about learning together and bonding with each other. Because of this, I believe that it removes a lot of pressure on students and allows them to feel comfortable and engaging.
What are you most looking forward to this year in SPIN Girls?
For sure it would be getting to know the students in my cohort better and better with each lab and field day. This is my first year with SPIN Girls, and I want to start strong with getting to know my students beyond just the surface level and have real connections with them. It has only been two lab days so far this year, so I’m excited to experience more activities, learning, and fun with these students.
What advice would you give to current SPIN Girls students?
Don’t forget to have fun! This is a reminder especially for 9th and 10th graders in high school, who have definitely shown their leadership skills and willingness to take the initiative during lab days. Working hard and being involved is important, but do not allow yourself to be consumed by pressure and obligations because that removes the fun, enjoyment, and passion from things. Use fun as a way to handle stressful situations and transform boring events to exciting ones. Having fun will allow you to explore new things, widen your perspective, and ultimately examine what you want to do in the future.
Thank you to Nada for taking her time to share with us!
That's all for now folks!
-Your Newsletter Social Butterflies
Lauren Canto (she/her)
SPIN Girls Program Coordinator
10th Grade Cohort Lead
Jie Ying (she/her)
SPIN Girls Co-Director of Social Media
8th Grade Cohort Lead
