Meet Andrea Corey
Andrea Corey earned her Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Physics from Queen’s University. She currently works as a Vice President in Product Development at Nudge.ai. In her spare time, she likes to do ballet, yoga, cooking, and lately, is building a small robot with her daughter.
When did your love of STEM begin?
As a young girl, I was in love with ballet and trained professionally in my early teens. But looking back to my childhood, I also liked to play with various building toys, and I was interested in how things worked. I took apart my old radio to find out what was inside. My love of STEM began later on with high school physics. I loved how simple formulas described how common objects worked (like optics for glasses) and how concepts like objects in motion behaved - like a dancer's pirouette!
What did you love most about study in your field of STEM?
In my opinion, the best part is the continuous learning that takes place - STEM is not a static field, so there are always new technologies or new applications of existing technologies and concepts that can be used to solve problems. The critical thinking required of my engineering degree is a fabulous life skill, and is something that I highly recommend.
What advice would you give to young women considering a career in STEM?
In terms of education, I do believe that one should choose a path that is personally interesting. It's a long and difficult path to completing a degree because it seems like the right thing to do. There are many possibly degree programs to choose from, from university to college, and know that people can enter the technology industry from a variety of backgrounds. That said, I strongly encourage women to study engineering or science or math, as these types of programs open up a lot of doors.
In terms of starting a career, be curious and seek to solve problems that you are interested in. Listen and learn about what other people around you are working on. Seek out other women to share your stories and support one another. Know that it's hard, and no one has it all figured out even if it appears as though they do!