Meet Vanessa Vakharia
Vanessa Vakharia graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing Management from the University of Guelph in 2004. She also earned her Master of Arts degree in Mathematics Education from the University of British Columbia in 2010 as well as her Secondary School Mathematics Teaching Degree from D'Youville College in 2007. She currently is the founder and CEO of The Math Guru. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys being in a rock band, listening to podcasts, making music, discovering music, reading, meditating and manifesting her wildest dreams, hitting the gym, thinking up whack ideas, having meaningful conversations with strangers and friends, daydreaming, trying new things, meeting new people, exploring spirituality and, well, finding magical moments wherever she can!
When did your love of STEM begin?
After I failed Grade 11 math TWICE because...third time's the charm! Seriously though, I failed Grade 11 math twice because I was told by like, EVERYONE, that I wasn't a "math person." You see, I wanted to be a rockstar and marry Keanu Reeves (both of those things are STILL true by the way, and actually, my band Goodnight, Sunrise opened for Bon Jovi last year!). I finally met a math teacher who told me a super juicy secret that changed my life: there is no such THING as a MATH PERSON! The year I met her, I got a big fat 99% in math. The rest is history...or well, MY story!
What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?
The best part about working in the field of STEM is being able to inspire other women to see themselves as capable of working in the field of STEM!
What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?
My advice is this: as unfair as it may be, we have the opportunity and responsibility to do what we can to make the STEM world more accessible, diverse, safe, and inclusive than it currently is. When you bust through that glass ceiling, make sure you don't waste your time obsessively guarding your spot at the top of the food chain. The world wants us to think that we are in competition with one another, that there isn't room for all of us. But guess what? There is room for every single one of us, and it is up to all of us to MAKE SPACE and to REFUSE to give in to the sneaky idea that women need to fight one another for the few spots that have been made available for us. When you break through that glass ceiling, make sure you send that elevator back down to where you came from, open those doors, and welcome other amazing women to take that ride with you. Only by lifting each other up can we see and be the change we ultimately wish to see in the STEM world!