Ericka Tamayo
Age: 19 | Location: Monterrey, Mexico | Pronouns: she/her
I’m Ericka, a second year Biomedical Engineering student at Dartmouth College. I’m determined to work on building a safe and respectful community in STEM, especially for minorities (women, first-gen, low-income, BIPOC). I love cooking, drawing, and doing research on topics I’m interested in such as medicine, antibiotic resistance, and programming.
Q+A: Ericka Tamayo on asking questions, age being just a number, and how the Summit will provide youth with the knowledge & tools to make change…
If you had infinite time, money and resources to solve just one global challenge, what would it be, and why?
I think I would choose mental health awareness, I consider it a very neglected issue that affects all the world but only youth are brave enough to talk about it after decades. The world would be a better place if we invested more time and money on mental health resources.
How did you get involved in STEM?
I consider this as a tricky question, because it is hard to pick a specific moment. However, I would say I started to get involved in STEM during middle school when a professor taught us the scientific method, and I understood the importance of asking questions and testing everything.
If you could share one tip for someone who's new to making a difference through STEM, what would it be?
It does not matter your age or what step you are at. It is never too late to start working on STEM and your personal perspective already brings something valuable into the community.
How do you think STEM is impacting your community?
I think STEM is allowing youth to be more critical about different issues in their own communities. That analytical skill that STEM requires is what makes us question things and challenge others. Asking questions is just the beginning of the path to create a solution.
What do you hope that the Youth STEM Summit will achieve in terms of empowering youth globally to tackle the world's biggest challenges, and why do you think this is important?
I hope that every single person feels motivated to take action and that they are provided with tools and knowledge in the Summit to actually begin making a change. Fear is something that has made me not take valuable opportunities, but I hope that the Summit creates a community where we all feel understood .
What are you most excited for about the Youth STEM Summit?
Get to know the attendees and hear their questions! I know for sure that all the people in the Summit, whether they are speakers or the Design Team, will be willing to help you thrive. We all want you to be involved in STEM if that is your passion!