[MUSIC] >> Women make up 48% of the workforce, but only hold 23% of jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Which is why three young women interested in those fields set out on a cross country journey to talk to the trailblazers who came before them.

They hit the road in search of wisodom and guidance to find what it actually takes for women passionate about the sciences to build a life around doing what they love Because breakthroughs come from breaking down barriers.

[MUSIC] A Balanced Equation.

[MUSIC] [SOUND] >> So we went ziplining and it'll probably be the first and possibly only time you guys are gonna get me crying on camera.

I hate heights, I hate everything that has to do with heights.

I hate the thought of heights.

I'm probably gonna start screaming, somebody's gonna probably have to push me.

>> Ziplining was my idea and I was so terrified, but it helps that Elysia was like more terrified than I was.

>> I feel like I'm in a dream.

>> I feel like I'm in a nightmare.

>> [INAUDIBLE] >> Yeah.

[MUSIC] >> I can't do this.

I can't do this, I can't do this.

[MUSIC] >> My God.

Holy.

>> I said I was going to try new things and put myself out there.

It was really cool to see the forest, I'm sure there are better ways to see a forest.

>> I don't know why I was so excited.

This doesn't make any sense.

Oh my god.

[LAUGH] >> Take your right hand off the cable.

>> Aah.

[MUSIC] >> I was like Elecia, if I could turn back now, I would.

[MUSIC] >> Aah.

>> [LAUGH] >> I didn't sign up for this.

I hate heights, I hate this.

>> It's gonna be fine once you're out there.

>> [LAUGH] >> People every day who do the same thing and then by the time they get down there they're having a great time.

All you gotta do is go down on the first one.

>> Give me the engineering behind this.

>> You have 20,000 pounds on the cable, 5,000 on the strap, 5,000 on the wreck ball.

You've not coming down and there's a guide at the end waiting on this.

[NOISE] >> You got it.

>> [NOISE] >> You can do it.

>> This isn't happening.

>> [INAUDIBLE] [MUSIC] >> [LAUGH] Don't hate me.

[LAUGH] >> How many of these are there?

>> Nine more.

>> There's nine more of these?

[MUSIC] >> After the first time, you start having fun.

I think once you conquer a fear, it's like, okay, I can do this.

So, I'm glad we all did that together.

>> That was a test of perseverance, but I fought through I'm glad I did it >> We are about three weeks into the trip.

>> Just being on the road and like having the busy schedule that we do, everything's passing by really quickly.

>> [INAUDIBLE] >> This is an amazing opportunity to travel across the country, to meet women who are in engineering and tech, and all kinds of careers.

And to learn their stories, and find out how they got where they are today.

>> The reason that I joined this trip is because I'm still trying to figure out what I wanna do in life.

>> Me, too.

>> [LAUGH] I think that's kind of why we're all here.

>> I think, when you start out kinda pursuing everything, getting a taste of all the things that you know you love, you'll start to figure out how to combine them.

It's exciting, and it's scary.

And I think, if you do things that feel a little bit scary, or really scary, you learn the most.

If you just do things that are comfortable, you're not gonna grow.

>> I'm challenging myself, making myself kinda move out of my comfort zone.

I really want to have a life changing experience and go home and do something about this question of what am I gonna do with my life?

[MUSIC] At 14, I said, I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn't know what that meant.

I didn't know what work I would have to put in.

So I majored in Biology and Chemistry and it was very tough, very hard.

[LAUGH] And I also was working a lot.

I worked two and three jobs at a time during under grad, losing a lot of focus, making average grades.

But I was working really hard at the time trying to tackle these classes.

I spoke with an advisor who told me that maybe science wasn't for me.

I did internalize those things and I have had negative self talk.

I want to go to medical school, but I talked myself out of it every single time.

I really hope that this will help me to be more bold, and courageous, and step out on faith more often.

[MUSIC] We're at NASA.

>> We visited the Stennis Space Center in Gulfport, Mississippi we're interviewing Rosa and Katie, two amazing NASA engineers.

[MUSIC] >> 30 seconds into the flight, Atlanta is almost two miles in altitude.

Six miles down range from the Kennedy Space Center, already going 500 miles an hour.

[MUSIC] >> So did you always know, from the very beginning, that you wanted to be in science, and to be an engineer?

>> I love space.

Whenever I'd visit my relatives in Mexico, we'd be in open field, late at night, and you could see all the stars up in the sky.

And I've always liked the science and math classes.

Wanted to combined the two and got into aerospace engineering.

I love what I do, I really enjoy testing rocket engines, and haven't had any doubts since I got here that this is where I was supposed to be.

[SOUND] >> I grew up right outside the city of New New Orleans in Louisiana, and so I chose chemical engineering.

And right before I graduated Columbia was returning back from a mission, and it exploded over Texas.

And pieces of it shattered right outside where I was going to school at.

So we lost the space shuttle, and it struck the nation as a great tragedy, because we lost all seven astronauts.

And so NASA does what NASA does and decides to hire a bunch of young engineers to help rectify the problem.

And I was part of that young group of college graduates that got to help with what we call Return to Flight.

[SOUND] >> Three, two, one, zero, and liftoff of Space Shuttle Atlantis on a mission to build, resupply, and to do research on the International Space Station.

>> Houston now controlling, Atlantis begins its penultimate journey to shore up the International Space Station.

>> What's your favorite part of what you do?

>> I worked on a project that delivered supplies to the International Space Station, and I saw our engines at the launchpad slide off and go deliver supplies.

So we directly see how we are helping furthering the space exploration.

Was there ever a time that you maybe felt uncertain about the course of your career, or your passions in life?

>> I mean engineering school's hard.

In Chemical Engineering I think we stated with probably about 100 kids, and we ended up graduating 18.

Now the 18 of us, I think three or four us were females.

And it wasn't so hard being a female.

It was just a hard program.

It's hard because it's science.

It's hard because it's differential equations, it's hard because it's complex equations with Chemistry terms.

And so school's hard, it's supposed to be.

>> Thank you for saying that.

>> [LAUGH] >> Thank you.

>> I think a lot of people internalize the thought that I'm girl so I don't think as well as my male counterparts, but it's not that at all.

>> No.

It's hard.

>> So thank you.

It's legitimately hard.

I had to take calculus twice.

And it's because I wasn't all in.

It's not that it's too hard for me or that I can't understand it, It's that, I was taking it and playing soccer and flying airplanes and working and calculus wasn't a priority and so I had to take it again when it became a priority and I was able to passed it.

We just have to be patient in ourselves while we find our journey.

That's important, we can do amazing things and we do amazing things.

>> There's no one way of doing anything.

Some people went to the military before working at at NASA.

Some people go to community college first and then go to a four year school to become want they want to be.

Some people will become parents first, but that doesn't mean you have to stop.

You can still go back to school and get your education to become what you wanna be.

>> And if it takes a little bit longer or it takes a little bit of more effort to reach that goal, it's your journey.

>> I know I had to work in this industry, but I don't have to race anyone, I don't have to say you've done this in three years that's great I'm gonna try in three years.

Like if I want something bad enough it's just about my determination and understanding my power in that.

You get judged every day, you get judged on your size, and your color, and your gender, and your abilities, and your lack of abilities.

And so when you're applying for something that you're really passionate about, don't pre-judge yourself.

Don't let doubt rule you, because I've gotten chosen.

And so I encourage people to push and put in for things that they are curious about.

>> Yeah.

>> Go ahead and put the application in.

Go ahead and look for that dream, follow that mission, and you never know you might get it.

Don't give up on yourself.

>> Thank you.

>> You're welcome.

[MUSIC] >> She just talked a lot about being kind to yourself and >> having patience with yourself on your journey.

And that's something that I can really relate to.

I've had so many doubts because I didn't make the best grades.

But hearing from these women who are like, don't discount yourself because of grades or because of failures.

So I will be applying to medical school.

>> Because I would rather go ahead and apply, and let someone else tell me no, not put myself on the back burner because of doubts.

[MUSIC] >> He who has begun has a work half done.

>> That's true.

>> Dream big, laugh loud, and love.

>> Thank you.

[MUSIC] >> We are currently about to head out to Dallas.

>> Dallas, Texas.

[MUSIC] >> Traveling around has given me a lot of new perspectives.

Coming from New York, I've always felt like all the diversity you need to see in America is really in New York cuz there are so many different people.

But obviously that's not true.

It was my first time riding a horse.

Hi, I'm Regina.

>> Regina, let me find a helmet for you.

>> Horses were my favorite animal, as a kid.

I was like a huge bookworm.

All I would read were just horse stories and like unicorn stories.

Woo, so this was a dream come true.

[MUSIC] It was so much fun to be on this horse.

He wouldn't like me, but it's okay.

The strawberry moon and the summer solstice coincided.

[MUSIC] >> We sat and we watched the moon rise, itwas amazing.

[MUSIC] >> I definitely realized that I love exploring, just seeing new things, and going to new places.

>> That is Saturn.

>> Yeah, see >> That's so cool!

>> And Jupiter's popping up over there.

>> At home you don't think about doing things like horseback riding or hiking.

You go to work, you go home and you go to sleep, it's just a regular routine.

We get so stuck in that.

But now, I wanna try new things, I think that I really needed this.

>> I think this past year has been about me trying to be more independent, because I moved to college.

I started living in a dorm, far away from my mom and my brother.

So it's been trying to figure out how I'm going to do things on my own.

And now I'm traveling kind of on my own too so.

It's kind of, empowering I guess.

I kind of feel more grown up now.

[SOUND] [MUSIC] Like slowly learning I was trying to figure out new things by myself.

[MUSIC] >> My parents are immigrants from China.

For so long for them it's been, just about not having to struggle.

Even though they didn't have the best education, my parents have always emphasized that.

[MUSIC] I guess the idea of passion isn't something my parents really thought about too much.

I liked computer science, but.

When I was younger I wanted to be writer.

I love art, I love drawing, and painting.

But my parents think that the safe choice is usually the best choice.

And I don't think that's always the case, but then again, I don't really know.

[MUSIC] A lot of the reasons I don't take risks, is because I feel like it wouldn't be fair to my family.

[MUSIC] I guess that's one of the reasons why I'm so excited to meet the people we're interviewing, a lot of them didn't have very conventional paths.

[MUSIC] I wanna get to that point where I can do something I love, and be happy with who I am.

[MUSIC] We're in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

We're interviewing Leah Buechley.

>> She's an MIT Media Lab professor.

>> And she's and an electronics designer, so she also makes a combination of art and electronics.

[MUSIC] >> Just tell us about who you are, and what you do, and kind of how you got to the point you are now.

>> Sure.

I'm a designer and an engineer.

And my work has really focused on blending electronics, and computing with art and design.

So for example, I've done a lot of work in combining textiles, and fashion with electronics, and computer science.

So I developed a kit called Lilypad Arduino, that lets you sew electronics into your clothes, and kind of robotics, except for soft, stretchy things.

I've experimented and developed a bunch of a ways to kinda sketch or draw electronic circuits that you can then program to make them interactive.

[SOUND] And then I've also done a lot of work in paper, and paper-based electronics.

One product that was really fun with, interactive wallpaper to kinda control lights, and sound.

[SOUND] So that's a bit about, what I do now, and the how I got here is, I've taken a long meandering path.

So, I grew up in New Mexico, and my parents were kind of hippies in the 60s and 70s.

So, we were always really poor when I was kid.

And in part because we were poor, kinda we had to be resourceful, and had to solve problems that we encountered in kind of imaginative ways.

So I remember for example, our cars were always breaking down, and my dad was always fixing our car in some kind of strange and creative way that might involve a pair of my tights or something.

[LAUGH] And I guess what I got from that, was a sense of kind of delight in solving problems, and encountering them in a sense of engineering essentially as a way, as a really creative, and kind of fun way to solve the problems you encounter in your life.

So when I first went to college, I was a dance major.

But then, I missed that kind of academic challenge of math and science, so I changed my major to physics.

So I ended up doing a lot of art stuff in college but majoring in physics.

So it's kind of torn between mathematical sciences on the one hand, and art and design on the other.

And I decided to go to graduate school for a computer science.

And it was there that I'd really discovered that I could combine all my interests, I hadn't really realized that was possible before.

It was this tremendous aha moment when I discovered that there were electrically conductive threads and fabrics, then I just started to play, and build stuff with electronics and textiles, and that was really, really fun and really exciting.

And then using that blend as a way to get kind of new communities of people engaged in electronics and computer science.

My hope is that the tools that I develop can engage people in STEM, in engineering, and in electronics and computer science, who, maybe, never would have thought of doing those things.

>> I came in with Elecia just now and she was talking about arduino circuits, and I'm like, I have no idea this is, and I'm so intimated by these topics.

So what do you say to students who kind of intimidated by the topics of engineering and physics, and think maybe it's too hard to go into these fields?

>> Yeah, that's such a common response.

I think a lot of people are frightened by, or kind of intimidated by computers, by electronics, by engineering in general.

And I think that's largely because there's kind of a culture in those fields that feels very exclusive, feels very male, often like it's mostly guys who build robots for example.

So I know for myself when I was a girl, I look at the computer science community that will, I'm not really into video games, I'm not really into robots.

And that's cool, but yeah, I just don't wanna do those things.

I want to be creative, and do art, and work with my hands.

>> I think for me, I've always seen art as kind of more of a hobby, and not necessarily something I might wanna pursue professionally just because I feel that I wouldn't be good enough, Or just that there's just so many amazing artists out there who are so creative, and just do amazing things that I just feel really intimidated.

So I was wondering if you've ever felt that, or if you have any advice for someone who is in my position.

>> Yes, I feel that, I think that's a natural part of, yeah, of being a creative person is feeling that.

And I think too, to go on a slightly different digression around the topic.

I think people who have always excel that mathematics, and science, and engineering, tend to separate that world from the world of creative stuff like art.

Engineering and science are tremendously creative discipline, like stem is every where.

And on the other hand, things like art are tremendously technical disciplines.

For example, crochet or knitting, is like turning a one-dimensional thing into a three-dimensional thing.

So it's like this incredibly, mathematically rich thing.

But culturally, we don't think of it in those terms.

So I think the important thing, or what I needed to do for myself was, discovering that I could combine kind of art and design with computer science and with electronics.

>> I just think it that your work is so cool especially cuz I love art, and I guess I've never intentionally kind of tried to make something using computer science or engineering tools.

So I think this is really cool.

[MUSIC] >> What parting advice would you wish, maybe that somebody had given you when you were our age.

Well, what do you think we should take out into the world with us?

>> Don't do something that you think you should do because you're afraid.

Be playful, and unafraid, and experimental and curious.

[MUSIC] It says don't act in fear, act with curiosity, passion, and joy.

>> Thank you.

>> She's everything I ever wanted to be, or not really because I didn't- Know that she existed and stuff that she does existed, but she's just so cool.

Thank you so much.

It was so great talking to you.

I think I found my actual dream job, which is to work for her, cuz she's so cool how she's like is an artist and also an engineer.

>> I was so excited the whole time we were interviewing her.

I was just like, Oh my god, I love you.

>> But Regina, why work for her, when you can be her?

>> Yeah!

My God, I wanna be her.

>> oh my gosh.

She's so cool.

Oh my god.

Okay, I'm done.

I'm really hot now.

[LAUGH] But I think she's my favorite by far.

She's so cool.

I hope she doesn't see this, she's gonna think I'm a freak.

This is so, okay, I'm done.

It's just exciting to think that there are all these new things that haven't been tried yet, and that we can try ourselves.

It just feels very open, the future just feels very open.

[MUSIC] Roadtrip Nation!

[LAUGH] Before this trip, I didn't really know what I was going to school for and I think seeing Leah's work, combining with computer science or engineering with art, that's something I'm definitely gonna be trying.

>> I think that I've renewed my passion, instead of finding out this not for me, I wanna do something else.

These are women that are just like me.

They didn't make the best grades.

They didn't have it all figured out and so, I do belong here.

[MUSIC] I'm just excited.

I really do belong in science.

>> Going into the end of this trip, what do I really wanna get out of it is, I think as a person, just continuing to push myself, to do better, be better, learn more, see more, not staying within that bubble like guaranteed experiences, which is why I have done so many things I probably wouldn't have done.

I hate heights, I hate this.

And I mean this is little, but the fact that I sat on the edge of a rock yesterday, at the Grand Canyon.

I don't know, there's good to come out of trying things.

Even if I don't see it at the very beginning, so I'm gonna continue trying.

We have a week and a couple of days left, there's so much to see and do.

[MUSIC] >> We are headed to California and it's kind of sad, cuz we have one week.

>> All along this journey, I just heard the word no so many times.

If I let the first no stop me, I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today.

>> As a kid I grew up watching Myth Busters, so you were like my female role model.

>> When you guys tell me that, that inspired you, it makes me want to cry.

Oh my god, I'm gonna hug you right now.

I'm gonna hug you.

>> Tomorrow we're all flying home.

>> I think at the end of the day, it brought back that excitement to be amazing.

>> To learn more about how to get involved or to watch interviews from the road, visit roadtripnation.com.

[MUSIC]