Sometimes our childhood dreams and memories of exploration pave the way for our future interests and career paths. Not only do we take these experiences and use them as fuel for our own story but we also feel called to provide similar opportunities and spaces for the younger generations to take part in as well. This has been the case for Mari Arnold, FCRH ’29, a co-founder of STEAMTEEN, a non-profit organization whose mission is to create free science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) events for New Haven, Connecticut, teens.
Arnold credits her mother for feeding her curiosity and involving her in many hands-on STEAM-inspired events at local libraries, museums and camps as a young child. She participated in a coding program at Yale University in the fifth grade that particularly sparked her interest.
“They had this program for young girls where I learned the basic intro to Python and I actually fell in love with it,” Arnold said. “From there I was like this is so cool and loved being able to learn how to program and wanted to expand my knowledge.”
She continued to sign up for more camps and even began teaching herself advanced coding and website design techniques out of pure enjoyment of the craft. But by integrating herself into STEAM spaces, Arnold became aware of the barriers she and others faced in the field. Whether these obstacles were financial, gender-based, being overly selective or having a lack of quality instruction, she took it upon herself to fill the gap.
Fast forward to her freshman year of high school when she and a friend got the idea for STEAMTEEN, a program with the goal to provide inclusive and free STEAM education to students in the area. They strive to create a community where middle and high schoolers of all backgrounds can envision themselves in STEAM careers and build connections with experts in the field. Having the leadership team entirely made up of youth efforts furthers the objective of showing kids there is room for them in the STEAM space, even if it is self-made.
“A lot of schools are really underfunded and so it’s not fair to have your ability to do things decided based on a lottery system of how much money you have,” Arnold said. “You deserve that education no matter who you are and no matter what your background is.”
Arnold’s steadfast dedication to her organization is evident in her sacrifices and efforts to secure financial support. Before obtaining grants from other non-profits, STEAMTEEN’s first event was a completely self-funded endeavor which included a partnership with her former employer, the Peabody Museum. With over 40 eager participants, Arnold hosted an event featuring STEAM activities and teachable moments, along with guest speakers from various local universities, during which discussions of interesting developments across different fields ensued.
With this being only one of many events STEAMTEEN has put on over the last two years, it is an empowering example of how a single person’s passion can inspire a new generation to take part in an industry they would otherwise be unaware of.
Even after graduating from high school and moving to New York, Arnold remains an active leader in STEAMTEEN and continues her advocacy for inclusion. She was recently a virtual guest speaker for the Engineering and Science University Magnet School’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) week, where she discussed her journey of being a woman in a STEAM-based leadership role and what it means to hold that position.
“There have been times when I’m the only woman in the room at a programming session or something,” Arnold said. “I feel like that’s when you are driven by your passion, which helps you break down the barriers and realize what really matters to you.”
Arnold explains that by not adhering to the cookie-cutter mold often expected of a student in STEAM, she relies on her passion to sustain the ambition needed for her educational pursuits. Between studying integrative neuroscience on the pre-med track to running a certified nonprofit to partaking in lab research positions and so much more, she understands the necessity of inclusive STEAM educational opportunities and aims to integrate these values in her future career.
“It’s rough because a lot of people might underestimate you or not take you as seriously, so then I have to work even harder,” Arnold said. “I think that’s why I do what I do because I want to help others who are facing the same challenges.”
By finding a support system of fellow women in STEAM who invested time and care into helping her navigate the complicated domain, Arnold looks back with gratitude to those who believed in her and propelled her success.
