Monterey area girls chosen for AAUW science camp

Brenda Ortiz Cardenas from Los Arboles Middle School in Marina, Anna Chassion from Buena Vista Middle School in Las Palmas, and Olivia Pearman from Pacific Grove Middle School will be attending this summer's STEM Camp Grace Hopper at Stanford University, courtesy of the Monterey Peninsula Branch of American Association of University Women.

Seventy-one girls were nominated by their math or science teachers, 34 girls applied, ten girls were interviewed and these 3 girls were chosen for the camp, said Marilyn Erickson, Tech Trek Coordinator of the AAUW Monterey Peninsula Branch.

"AAUW branches raise the funds for each camper, $1,000 for each girl. This year we raised the $3,000 by member donation and by a grant from the Yellow Brick Road Benefit Shop in Carmel," Erickson said.  "Our 3 girls will join 75 other girls from Northern California to live at Stanford University for a week, living in a dorm, eating in the student dining hall, and attending classes at the university."


The girls select their core classes of Forensic Science, Marine Biology, Engineering/Motion, Cyber Security, 3D Math, or Applied Inventor/Coding. The camp was started in 1998 at Stanford with AAUW sponsorship. A 7th grade girl can only go to this camp if chosen by her AAUW branch and paid for by the AAUW Branch.