Surrey teen receives scholarships for helping to close STEM gender gap

A Surrey teen is being recognized at a national level for her work to close the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for young girls.

Hemanaya Sharma has received several scholarships, including the Ted Rogers Future Leaders Scholarship and the TD Community Leadership Scholarship, which recognize her work at a national level. The We Can STEM program promotes STEM for high school girls and provides free, accessible, after-school coding classes for elementary school girls, Sharma said.

Sharma is also being recognized for promoting multiculturalism with the BC Youth Council and various other volunteer experiences. She said her community is a large part of the reason she has received these scholarships.

“Just being involved in my community and having the endless support from everyone in my community, that really helped me grow my application and all my experiences,” she said.

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Getting involved within your community is also the advice Sharma said she would offer to other teens thinking of applying for scholarships.

“Don’t be afraid to get involved in your community. Do whatever you can, do whatever things inspire you, whatever you’re passionate about. Just be involved and from there, it’ll pay off,” she said.

Sharma will begin her first year at the University of British Columbia this fall as an engineering student.

In the future, Sharma says she plans to become an entrepreneur and continue to promote STEM to girls.

-With files from Hana Mae Nassar and OMNI