Meet Parshati Bhattacharjee
Parshati Bhattacharjee graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Applied Economics degree from Queen's University. She currently works as a Senior Consultant at Accenture Technology. In her free time, Parshati enjoys making DIY hacks with her kids around the house, reading books, singing, and planning events.
When did your love of STEM begin?
My love for STEM began at a very young age. Belonging to a family of South Asian descent where Engineering, Math, Science and Technology predominantly prevailed, my interest in STEM was no surprise. I was always known as the "fixer upper", whether it be gadgets around the house, worn out schoolbags that needed repair, I always had a way to repurpose everything around me. I will be honest, I wasn't one of the top students in school, but somehow always did well in Olympiads that required out-of-the-box thinking. I took up Science in high school and realized that Math in particular was what interests me most and eventually took up Applied Economics in University. Even though I started out my career in the Financial Industry, I was always drawn to the Technology side of things and finally landed a job at Accenture. I truly feel like this is where I belong, especially due to the fact that there are no barriers and sky is the limit when you want to bring about a positive change.
What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?
Everything and anything around the world is somehow related to STEM, in my opinion. Hence having knowledge and working in this field truly gives you an opportunity to bring about significant changes at the grassroot level. There is always a solution to a problem, sometimes more obvious than others. And the best part is that there are multiple paths to solve the problem, none of them being right or wrong. People work best when they are given the freedom of choice and thought, and STEM allows all of that and more.
What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?
Think beyond your textbooks. If you think there is something more to a problem, there probably is and if you think you can solve it, you probably can too! Don't let obstacles deter you. I firmly believe where this a will there is a way, in all walks of life. The percentage of women in STEM has increased in leaps and bounds over the years and that speaks for itself. Hard work always pays off so hold your head high and believe in what you do! Good luck!