Spotlight on Cady Winuk
Intro: What’s your name, what program or department are you in, and how have you participated with CRS? For how long?
My name is Cady Winuk, and I have participated in the BASIS classroom lessons for kindergartners and 3rd graders, and STEM fairs for the last year and a half.
STEM Pathway: How did you wind up in your current role/department/lab/field?
Lab classes in high school inspired me to pursue science because I love learning how the world works, and decided to pursue physics and planetary science at UC Berkeley. Getting outdoors and performing experiments motivates me to continue learning!
Inspiration: Who or what inspires you to do science outreach and why?
In my physics classes in high school and college it is apparent that women are in the minority, and the depiction of scientists to young students tends to be male dominated. I want to show that scientists are not only women, but energetic, curious, and excited about the world.
Equity: How do you think your outreach activities with CRS support greater STEM education?
My goal is to promote curiosity and foster excitement about the field of science. Many students interested in pursuing science are stuck behind barriers of complicated math and difficult homework, so I hope to build conceptual foundations for young students that allows them to succeed later in their careers.
Experience: Describe your favorite part of your science outreach experience.
My favorite part of science outreach is hearing and answering the questions that students ask. Without fully developed concepts of what is physically possible, students often end up asking really interesting conceptual questions about magnetic fields, outer space, and gravity.
