When I think about scientists, I usually picture Einstein or Newton. Most other people do too. But have you ever heard of Rosalind Franklin or Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu? Until recently, I hadn’t. It turns out there are a lot of women who made huge contributions to science, but they didn’t get the credit. Since it’s Women’s History Month, I decided to find out more about some of these women. What I discovered actually made me feel good about my own dream of becoming a nurse.
Rosalind Franklin was a British chemist who captured the X-ray image that helped reveal the double helix structure of DNA. This was a ground breaking discovery for science. Sadly, her male colleagues got most of the credit. Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu, a Chinese American physicist, made discoveries that changed the world of nuclear science. Even though she worked on some of the biggest experiments in her field, again, she did not receive the same recognition as her male coworkers. This wasn’t anything new though. According to the National Women’s History Museum, women have always worked in science, but they almost never got any sort of recognition.
What really amazes me is how much these women had to fight just to do what they loved. These women were disrespected by their male co-workers in multiple ways. Rosalind Franklin was left out of important meetings and decisions. Dr. Wu faced discrimination for being both a woman and an immigrant. Even today, women make up less than thirty percent of the STEM workforce in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That shows there are still barriers to break.
Learning about these hidden figures made me reflect on my own goals. I have always wanted to become a nurse, which is also a STEM career where women have made a big impact. I think a lot of the hard work nurses do go unnoticed just like Dr. Wu and Rosalind Franklin. Knowing what these women went through has inspired me to keep working hard towards my goals even when things aren’t easy.. I want to help people and maybe even inspire others, just as I was.
Women’s History Month isn’t only about the past. It’s also about how we’re shaping the future. Recently, I’ve seen more schools and organizations helping girls interested in science. They’re starting mentorship programs and even offering scholarships. A little support can go a long way. It helps other young women believe they can do it too. By doing these things, they’ve given more girls the chance to discover what they love and maybe even make history themselves one day.
Learning about these amazing women reminds me that history is still being written. I know that there are so many striving women who will go down in history and I hope to be one of them. I will strive for my work to not go unnoticed. One day, I hope to be the kind of nurse who not only cares for patients, but also inspires the next generation to follow their dreams.
