James Cook University (JCU) student Keziah Furnell is inspiring the next generation of female engineers and scientists in North Queensland through her award-winning STEM Sisterhood program.
The 22-year-old electrical engineering and IT student is a passionate advocate for women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), with her workshops for girls proving a huge hit across the region.
Ahead of her final year of study in 2025, Furnell’s program continues to expand and offers hands-on workshops to help girls explore different STEM fields through exciting experiments, problem-solving and collaboration.
The science-mad student’s early passion for STEM was fostered by JCU lecturers even before she began tertiary study, during visits to the university’s Townsville campus.
“Throughout all my schooling I always took every opportunity to be involved in science programs, camps and experiments, including several at JCU,” Furnell says.
“So, when it came time to decide where I wanted to go to uni and which field of science I wanted to pursue, I reached out to some of the lecturers here to get their advice on the best path.
“They helped me immensely with picking what areas would best suit my interests and one of the biggest reasons for going to JCU was the support network I had there.”
Exploring everyday science
Recent studies have highlighted a widening gender gap between women and girls working in STEM fields and studying STEM subjects at high school and university. It’s a problem Furnell is determined to continue to tackle head-on.
“When I walked into my first electrical engineering class, we had about 120 students in there, and maybe 10-12 of us were girls, so it starkly showed the size of the problem,” she says.
“When I investigated further, I realised there are only five per cent women in electrical engineering and even less of these numbers are from public schools and regional areas, so from there the idea for STEM Sisterhood was born.
“I know the opportunities and mentors I had access to was a big part of why I chose to study science, so to be able to help inspire girls to come into these fields is just hugely rewarding. There’s no better feeling than having kids come up to you and seeing that you’ve helped spark an interest in science for them.”
Furnell’s inspiring efforts with STEM Sisterhood recently saw her recognised as the runner-up in tech giant Samsung’s national Solve for Tomorrow competition.
The hard-working student paid tribute to her family and other volunteers for their support in delivering her program, and says she has no plans to slow down.
“When we first started, we had maybe four kids in the first workshop and 10 in the second, but we now regularly have full workshops,” she says.
“Most recently, we have expanded into other communities, completing full-day workshops in Bowen in conjunction with the Zonta club, with another booked in for 2025.
“We will do a similar event in Charters Towers next year and I’ve been asked to head to Ingham as well, so it’s exciting to provide workshops to regional kids who otherwise may not get these opportunities.
“We are also adapting our workshop to be more accessible for groups like Hear for You, who we will deliver workshops for in the new year as well. It’s growing and evolving all the time and it is fantastic to be able to make a small difference.
“I’m a full-time student, part-time engineer – soon to be, hopefully, a full-time engineer – but STEM Sisterhood is something I love to do and is a way to give back.
“We look at science through a female lens, show them that the questions they ask can lead to real world jobs in STEM fields and that there are girls and women just like them doing amazing things.”
