STEM It Up!
STEM It Up! showcases amazing women leading the way through awesome careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in this video series. Check out these short stories by women of all backgrounds highlighting STEM fields to help your students discover their own STEM path.
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STEM It Up! Presentations View All
Welcome to STEM It Up!
Looking for other ways to explore careers of interest? Learn about Kirkwood Workplace Learning Connection’s Job Shadow and Internship Programs.
Bonny Athy, MSN, RN
Clinical Nurse Education Manager – Iowa City VA Health Care System
My name is Bonny Athy, and I am the Clinical Nursing Education Manager at the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Hospital. My team provides training to new nursing staff employees as they enter the VA, and we deliver continuous education throughout the entire Iowa City VA Health Care System. My story did not begin with nursing as a first choice, but people and events led me to the career that I have developed so much passion for.
Alexandra Braaksma
Realtor – Skogman Realty
My name is Alexandra Braaksma and I am a REALTOR® in Cedar Rapids, IA. Prior to becoming a REALTOR® I worked for several years in either customer service rolls or in a corporate environment. I decided that I wanted to stay in customer service, but I wanted the flexibility to be my own boss and make my own rules. My career in real estate has been rewarding and challenging with events like the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2020 Derecho that hit our wonderful community. I also spend time as an Iowa PreLicense instructor for aspiring realtors and have served on Realtor Development, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and Professional Standards committees.
Janessa Carr
Safe & Secure Learning Coordinator– Cedar Rapids Community School District
Janessa Carr is the Safe & Secure Learning Environment Coordinator for the Cedar Rapids School District. This is a new position aimed at developing initiatives to increase safety for all students & staff. Janessa leads several projects that include developing the District Reunification Plan, leading the implementation of CrisisGo (a crisis & emergency management tool), decreasing physical aggression in schools, and increasing partnerships with community agencies such as the Cedar Rapids Police Department and Foundation 2's Gun Violence Intervention Program, and starting the District's first Safety Advisory Council. Janessa's undergraduate degree is in Criminology and her Master’s Degree is in Criminal Justice. She also holds a Drop-out Prevention Certification from the National Dropout Prevention Center.
Alyanna Subayno
Architect – Neumann Monson Architects
Alyanna Subayno, Assoc. AIA, is an Intern Architect at Neumann Monson Architects, a collaborative architecture practice with studios in Iowa City and Des Moines. Subayno graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch). At ISU she helped reactivate the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) Chapter later becoming President. Alyanna served a leadership role within Iowa Women in Architecture and is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) where she advocates for underrepresented voices. At Neumann Monson she plays numerous roles – from leading the Employee Experience team, being an active member of the Sustainability Team, and leading volunteer efforts in and outside the studio.
Educators, feel free to use these speaker engagement questions with your students as they view presentations.
STEM Resources
Here are some additional fun and engaging resources you can use to help your students explore STEM fields: