Anne Baier, 20 years young, attended the Ludwigsgymasium in Köthen. Before completing her Abitur two years ago, she kept asking herself the question: What can I actually do? She completed various labs, went to career orientation and had long conversations with her parents, friends and classmates. Her strengths and interests lay primarily in the natural sciences and technical subjects. "But studying mathematics, IT, science and technology, or STEM for short: isn't that just for boys? And if not, can I do it?" thought Anne Baier, who reports here on how she found her degree program.
MINT Lab - a lab at the university
"Then Anhalt University of Applied Sciences offered a two-week summer internship. The topic was "Lavender - from raw material to product". I signed up and, together with eight other girls, we experimented, studied and discussed experimental procedures. During this time, we met professors, lecturers and women from regional companies and research institutions with a focus on STEM subjects. I learned a lot about the challenges and prospects of a degree course. At the same time, students told us about their experiences. To accompany the lab, we were allowed to create our own documentary video(link to video) and present the film to an audience at the end. The two weeks flew by - I would have loved to stay right away," says Anne.
"The lab at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences was an extremely valuable experience. It solidified my decision to study in the STEM field even more. Today, I'm in my third semester of Process Engineering at Köthen. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our supervisor Karina Pangsy - she always had an open ear for us."
Anne is not the only one who decided to study at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences following the STEM Lab: Four participants have since joined her and are enrolled in a wide variety of STEM degree programs.
About Make up your MINT
In November 2015, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences launched the equal opportunities initiative "Make up your MINT" with the aim of encouraging more young women to study STEM subjects. The interactive, practical and multimedia project between the Departments of Computer Science and Languages and Applied Biosciences and Process Engineering, highlights personal and professional prospects for the state of Saxony-Anhalt and uses videos to spark the interest of schoolgirls and young women in the subject. "The MINT Lab summer internship is a focal point that has become a permanent fixture. It provides insights into a STEM degree program and allows students to experience everyday life in a condensed form," says Korinna Bade, professor at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and head of the project. "With our videos, we give young people the opportunity to experience the project live and to look over the shoulders of the women at work to see what you can do later with a STEM degree," adds Korinna Bade. The initiative is funded by the state of Saxony-Anhalt and the European Social Fund Germany (ESF) until the end of 2018.
Find out more at: http://www.make-up-your-mint.de/
Registration: MINT Lab 2018
