The "I Want to be Like Her" essays are a chance for girls to read about the success stories of women in mathematics. They then write a short essay on why they could look up to and follow women who have oversome hardships and striven for success in their fields. The five essays below were chosen from all of the essays submitted as the winners in this years celebration.

1st Row L to R
Kalli Patrick, Jetta Cameron-Paz, Sanchika Freeman, Jamyia Garrett, Jordan McDaniels

2nd Row L to R
Dr. Aliecia McClain, Mrs. Nadine James, Dr. Yolanda Anderson, Dr. Farrah Jackson, Dr. Darnell Johnson

Christine Munoz was raised in a broken home by a mother who taught her that girls did not matter. As a young girl, she believed that her job was to take care of the men in her house and to always put them before herself. Munoz soon learned that every woman has a voice of their own; they just need to realize it themselves. She pushed herself and fought through school, becoming the first one in her family to graduate college. Munoz discovered her love for the workings of computers and pursued it without a backwards glance. She is considered an inspiration for young girls everywhere, because she never lost sight of who she is. I would be honored to achieve a mentally similar to that of Christine Munoz, and to have her positivity. She never one gave up, and when someone told her that she could not reach goals. She proved them wrong. Christine Munoz is a hard-working, positive, and driven woman who works for whatever her heart desires, and this is why I strive to be like her.

I want to be like Debbie, because I want to go into mechanical engineering as well. In her profile, she stated how she faced obstacles towards her career goals and I can relate since I am facing obstacles as well.  I too normally do well in all my classes, but do exceptionally well in English class.  Also being from a small rural area with little money, as female I’m not expected to pursue a career such as engineering.  I am also being faced with the same pressure that Schenberger did as far as engineering being seen as a field for men and too challenging for women.

     Debbie has inspired me to be like her because she went against all odds and became successful in a career she loves.  I want to be like her because she is also a mother who can balance between her family life and career life.  I want to be like Debbie, she is an inspiration since she has my dream career and she went against society and accomplished a major goal.

Denise Stephenson Hawk is a very big inspiration to many.  I would aspire to be just like her for numerous reasons.  The main reason that I aspire and admire her is the simple fact that she overcame many boundaries in her lifetime where most people would settle for less she knew that she could be somebody.  Just like her she had a very strong support system such as myself because her mother stood up for her child and wanted her to be in the advanced college courses.  In conclusion I would like to say that this is an amazing women and I hope to be as successful or higher in life as she is.

I want to be like Fern Hunt because she loves Math, and thinks of math in a different way.  She thinks of math as “creative and intuitive activity,” and that it can be appreciated for its beauty of internal structure.”  She has a PhD in mathematical sciences.  So Fern works on projects including math, and science, which I love.  That is why I want to be like Fern Hunt.

I want to be like Peggy W. Harmon because she not only earned her degree, but earned the chance to earn her degree.  When Peggy W. Harmon could have given up and settled for a job with nothing but a high school diploma to show on her resume, she decided to join the army to fight for her county and fight for her right to become a successful woman in science.  She not only achieved this goal, but excelled in her field.  Peggy W. Harmon worked on many projects such as the Long Duration Exposure Facility, and the LIDAR Atmospherics Sensing Experiment.  I want to be like Peggy W. Harmon because not only achieved, but excelled.