A Woman in STEM: An Interview with Myself
Tamaira Rowe
Published on September 13, 2023
by India Choco, Belize
My name is India Choco, and I am a member of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency’s 2023 intern cohort. Going into this internship, I imagined I would face many challenges, from time management to communication issues to simply having no idea what I was doing. However, I was met by a fantastic team of leaders and fellow interns who helped guide me through the process. Aside from learning about the energy sector in Belize, I learned about femininity, introspection and the power of asking for help.
‘What do you mean by the power of asking for help?’
In Belize, we have learned a lot about developing the energy sector by asking for help from other countries, which is a good thing. Young women, especially in STEM, often feel that the only way to stand out and make an impact is to do it on their own. That is not the case. You will not make much progress struggling solo. I went into my internship with the mindset that I would figure it out on my own, no matter what. I quickly realised that is not the way to handle things. By asking for help and advice from my supervisors and peers, I learned different ways to approach my data collection methods. Some of the ideas I came up with would not have come to fruition without talking to others. So my advice is to admit you do not know it all and ask for help.
‘Do you mean introspection within yourself or within the field?’
I mean both. From a young age, I always knew I would end up in a science-based field – it has always been my thing, so to speak. Although I am not very talkative when it comes to speaking about myself, when it comes to what I am passionate about, I transform into a different person. Through this internship, I realised that I define myself not just by my nationality and ethnicity, I also define myself by my career, which in turn inspires me to be the best. This internship was just a jumping point for a lot of us. It helped introduce us to many people and helped us realise exactly what career path we wanted to take. I believe that you should always keep trying new things until you find ‘your thing’. Renewable energy and sustainable development are my things. My next step is to figure out where I fit into the plan and how I can be better. There is still so much about me – and renewable energy – to discover.
‘And femininity?’
Most people who meet me love to say my personality and aesthetic do not match my chosen career path. There are those who say I should tone myself down to be respected, but to that I say, I will be respected for my knowledge; my looks are just a bonus. I have often been the only woman in a class or lecture since I started down this path, but not once have I ever acted more like the boys to fit in. I was amazed to be led by two fantastic women in this internship program. They truly inspired me to keep building on everything I have learned so far, and I hope to one day find myself in a position to inspire other young women to be themselves and be game changers in their field. I’ll rock my corporate Barbie pink pants as I gather my data. I can do it all.
