Student Groups Spotlight FEM-STEM Club (MFSC)!

We sat down with their executive team to discuss their inspiration behind the group, how they are working to uplift women and what opportunities you can look forward to from them!

SAMU: Hi, welcome to the SAMU Student Groups Spotlight! Let’s get started by telling me a bit about yourselves.

Aanya: Hi, I’m Aanya Ghandi. I’m a second-year bachelor of science student majoring in psychology and

minoring in biology. I’m the founder and president of MFSC.

Janya: Hi, I’m Janya Ghandi. I’m the vice president of MFSC and am currently in my second year of nursing.

Rashmeen: Hi, I’m Rashmeen Manes. I’m the vice president of events, and I’m in my second year pursuing a bachelor of science, planning to go into nursing.

Janya: We are a women-led club that focuses on supporting and empowering women in and out of MacEwan, specifically in STEM: sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. We aim to provide our members with opportunities to learn about possible career paths and passions through Instagram takeovers, workshops and events.

Aanya: We want to empower our members to work alongside and build each other up. We are creating a space where people can find support and meet others with similar goals and struggles.

Aanya: I was inspired to start this club from my first year at MacEwan. I had a tough first semester and pretty intense classes, but I met a group of girls who influenced me to improve. Once I found them, I didn’t feel lonely since I had people who understood what I was going through. That was important to me. I don’t want any other student to feel what I did and struggle with the same loneliness. Because of this experience, I created a space where STEM girls can come together and find support. My favourite part about this club is the members; they have been so comforting and enthusiastic.

Janya: I joined because I’ve always been passionate about helping and caring for others. I’ve also been aware of the stereotypes and barriers discouraging women from STEM careers. I hope to dispel these myths to encourage and empower women in STEM.

Rashmeen: Aanya invited me to join this group, and I thought it would be a fantastic opportunity. I have found it challenging to navigate the STEM field as a woman since my classes tend to have fewer women, but with this group, I knew I could make a change. I want women to have other women to look up to and find support from. So far, my favourite part about this group has been getting to know our members. Everyone has so much knowledge to share and is eager to try new things.

Aanya: Yeah, we are working hard to build a foundation to support women and challenge the expectation that we need to provide, especially as women of colour. We want to show our family and friends that we are breaking these barriers and can contribute to something bigger than ourselves.

Rashmeen: We are working to create more opportunities for women to advance by hosting panels, speaker series, events and other workshops that our members request. We want to give them the knowledge to advance their education and careers that they might not get from their classes. We also aim to create relationships between our members and establish a space where people feel supported and happy.

Janya: Our environment will be a judgement-free zone where people can share their thoughts and passions together.

Aanya: Yeah, we also want to highlight hidden opportunities that people aren’t aware of so we can introduce new career paths and options to our members.

Aanya: Through our Instagram takeovers, members have been able to ask questions, seek advice and get a look into what a possible career might look like. This has allowed them to find confidence in themselves and discover new opportunities.

Janya: We want our members to know they aren’t alone and that by seeing others persevere and be successful, they know they can do it too and have us to rely on.

Aanya: Yeah, at our bake sale, our members showcased their skills and confidence to new volunteers and students we interacted with, and it was very inspiring. We had a few volunteers who were a bit shy at the start, but after being around our members, their confidence grew, and they started taking the lead.

Rashmeen: We also had a man join our team and volunteer at the bake sale! Our group is a safe space for everyone, and we invite everyone to join. It was really nice to hear about his experience in STEM and see him engage with the other members and have a memorable experience.

Aanya: University isn’t only about studying and exams. It’s about creating experiences, making friends and sharing stories.

Janya: At our meetings, we open the floor to suggestions so we can learn how our members want to grow and what opportunities they are looking for. By joining our group, you have a voice in what we offer and provide.

Aanya: Next semester, we will collaborate with the MacEwan Science Club for their gala! I’m also planning on hosting de-stress events like yoga. Since STEM can be stressful, I want to provide our members with tools to relax and regulate their bodies.

Rashmeen: We also hope to work with the Accounting Club to host a workshop to go over finances and taxes, which many people struggle with. We also plan to host some info sessions about careers.

Aanya: We want to teach our members how to present themselves in their resumes and applications and help them learn how to get references. When I was doing this by myself, it was daunting; I didn’t know how to get a reference letter or how to ask for one. We also want to provide info sessions about grad school applications and how that process works. Some professors have reached out to assist with panels and Instagram takeovers, which will be fun for next year. We even had an Australian Med School reach out to us through Instagram to collaborate and teach our members about their program, which was really cool.

Aanya: Any MacEwan student can join as a member or run to be an executive. We currently have seven executive members and plan to host an executive election in September!

Janya: Some of our executives are graduating, so quite a few positions will be open. Keep an eye on our Instagram and check for emails from Student Groups Connect about the elections.

Aanya: I became more confident in myself. When I started this group, I was scared no one would show up, and I didn’t know if I was good enough to lead it. But I knew I could do it when we started and had a big turnout at our first general meeting. Meeting our members and seeing how much work everyone was putting into this
group helped me be confident in myself and grow as a leader.

Janya: I also became more confident in myself after joining. It impacted my university experience and allowed me to grow my skills and meet new people. If you had told me a year ago to be leading a group like this, I wouldn’t believe you.

Rashmeen: I wasn’t always the person who could go up and talk to someone, but after joining this group, I’ve become that person. As leaders, we need to make our members feel comfortable and heard, so sometimes, I need to push my comfort zone to do that. Even at our first meeting, I was so nervous, but I did it! After this, I helped out at the bake sale and talked to many new people. I was able to express myself and be outgoing, and it was so fun. I’ve also been able to receive and give criticism, which has been a rewarding skill to learn.

All: Do it! If you are scared, come to a meeting and see how you like it. You’ll never know if you don’t try, and what’s the worst that will happen? You might not like a group, but that’s okay; you’ll find another one. It’s been a great experience being a part of this group, and it’s nice to have something to look forward to at the end of the day, especially after tough classes.

All: Keep an eye on our Instagram or more takeovers, and stay tuned for more info about our fall election! Email or DM us with any questions, and join our group as a member on Student Groups Connect.

Follow SAMU on social media through Instagram (@sa_macewan), Twitter (@SAMacEwan), and Facebook (Students’ Association of MacEwan University) to stay up to date on the latest events, programs, and services from your students’ association.