GEM-SET

Sarah Shirk, MPH
GEM-SET Moderator
University of Illinois
Chicago, IL

Sarah Shirk (right) accepts certificate of appreciate from
Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao (left) and
Region V Women's Bureau Regional Administrator Nancy Chen (center).

EDUCATION: B.A in Art History from Swarthmore College
Masters in Public Health from the University of Illinois

CURRENT CAREER POSITION:
As project coordinator for the Women in Science and Engineering program at the University of Illinois, one of my responsibilities is to increase the number of women students pursuing AND graduating in science, technology, engineering, and math. One of the ways I do this is by managing the GEM-SET program, an apportunity for girls 13-18 to learn about the many career possibilities that exist for them in their futures. I truly believe that people still have a tendency to stereotype jobs by gender, and this subtle attitude can be unfair to women who want to establish themselves in non-traditional careers. Of course, it is a two way street, and this same stereotyping happens to men also. Sometimes men steer clear of jobs like nursing because they think it is a women's job. Sometimes women steer clear of jobs like engineering because they think it is a man's job. My reason for being part of GEM-SET is to tear down these stereotypes so that the students members have the chance to find a career that enriches their life and matches their talents.

HOW TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS MY CAREER: Frequently I have to trouble shoot to prevent "technical difficulties" from interrupting services. Technical difficulties in the past have included broken modems, server failures, and software glitches. I've learned mostly on-the-job-trouble-shooting and learned how to manage a web site by taking every web training course offered at UIC. My formal training is in health outcomes research and gradually I found myself using technology more and more to collect data, analyze data, and communicate the results when the data analysis was complete. In addition to coordinating the GEM-SET project, I also monitor health outcomes for the Center of Excellence in Women's Health at UIC.

MOST EXCITING ASPECT OF MY CURRENT POSITION: The reason I got involved in GEM-SET is that the virtual community fascinates me. It has truly been exciting watching mentors and mentees connect from all over the United States. Technology has impacted how I do research in health care and other areas of interest to me. Gradually the Internet is changing the way people communicate. I want to take this opportunity to watch how the digital culture is transforming mentoring. Now mentors can be in your home town or a million miles away and still have an impact on your life. Often career decisions happen with just a little slice of knowledge about that particular career. I hope that this program expands on everyone's career knowledge so that optimal decisions are made.

It is great to connect students with scholarship opportunities that they did not even know existed. GEM-SET connects young women to the best resources available and the coaching by the mentors gives all participants insights into the career game. Being a part of GEM-SET has influenced me by making me appreciate the mentors in my life and realizing that the best return gift to those mentors is to mentor others.