Meet Layla Al Zayat

Layla Al Zayat graduated with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Ryerson University in 2019. She currenlty works as a Process EIT at DuPont.

When did your love of STEM begin?

My love for STEM has always been driven by sheer curiousity. Even from a young age I was always intrigued by how things work. I would constantly ask questions about the cause of things like natural phenomena, operating machines, etc...

What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?

The best part about working in the field of STEM is knowing that the sky is the limit. In other words, the fact that there's no limit to how far we can go in discovering things and developing new technology/material is very inspiring. Moreover, I like the uncertainty around everything in science; the fact that most of the time there's no one clear answer to why things are. It is our responsibility as scientists to crack the code and get to the bottom of things. This makes the journey of discovery all the more rewarding.

What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?

I would encourage them to learn more about the career opportunities that the STEM field offers to familiarize themselves with the different options that exist. I would also encourage them to pick a program that has a co-op component so they can actually get a feel for the type of work they would be doing in that field. I would advise young women against picking a STEM field just because their parents expect them to. Young women should not succumb to pressure from their peers to enter a program that they don’t have a passion for.