2019 Joelle Dewis

You Go Girl

By Joelle Dewis

I am the first from the right, and I am wearing a grey sweater and light blue jacket.

At some point in your life you have probably heard someone use “girl” as an insult. Whether it be running, talking, or thinking “like a girl”, these insinuations are commonly tied to being sluggish, bothersome, or inferior to males. Not only do these stereotypes downgrade females, they can mislead girls to believe that they are not good enough to pursue a certain occupation; especially ones in STEM. Operation Minerva is an organization working to break down these gender barriers, ultimately empowering bright girls to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I was blessed with the opportunity to participate in this valuable program.

On the morning of what was going to be an educational, fun filled day at Canadian Natural Resources, I arrived at my designated bus pick up location. Following two bus rides, my group arrived at the tall glass skyscrapers framing downtown Calgary, and we entered the CNRL office. I had always been curious about what the atmosphere of a professional business building was like, but the reality of gazing up at the buildings and taking a tour around the office cubicles exceeded my expectations. It motivated me to continue to work hard in order to work in an environment like this in the future. In addition, the positive relationships the mentors had with each other encouraged me to strengthen my relationships with my classmates. The twelve talented mentors built a team of geologists, geophysicists, and engineers. Seeing how passionate they were about their careers inspired me, further confirming the idea that I want to pursue an occupation in STEM.

Our day started with an icebreaker game so we could learn more about the group and release all of our nervous jitters. Following this, we listened to a presentation outlining what the scientists working in the oil and gas industry do. Helpful advice about what high school courses are necessary in order to pursue a job in STEM was also included in the introduction. We then engaged in multiple hands-on activities. These included a contouring activity, an oil rig build challenge, a filtration activity, and an oil drilling game. Although some of these initially sounded boring to me, they turned out to be mentally stimulating and exciting. Not only did they require teamwork and cooperation, they also brought out a positive competitive mentality in all the participants. We then took a break for lunch where we shared stories with each other and the mentors. By the end of the day, we had all bonded and became good friends.

As soon as I stepped back onto the bus, I was filled with a desire to go back and take part in Operation Minerva again. It is truly an experience I will never forget. It taught me many things about my future career options, and sparked a hidden interest in geology. More importantly, it reminded me that no matter what, women and girls are strong, intelligent, and independent individuals whose name should never be used as an insult.