Mars junior takes home award on Women in Science Day
MARS — Though the number of women working in the science and research fields has increased worldwide, those areas are still dominated by men.
According to data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 30 percent of the world's researchers are women. Women are generally underrepresented in bioengineering and technology fields.
Vincenzia Vargo is doing her part to change those statistics.
The Mars High School junior hopes to pursue an undergraduate degree in bioengineering before attending medical school.
Vincenzia, 17, the daughter of Anthony and Carmelina Vargo, took another step toward that goal in December when she received an award for excellence in chemistry at the 29th annual Women in Science Day event at Seton Hill University in Greensburg.
The event aims to recognize high school juniors who excel in math and science and give them a chance to experience a college learning environment firsthand.
According to Rebecca Winek, the Mars High School chemistry teacher who made the nomination, Vargo was the perfect fit.
“Vincenzia is also interested in pursuing a career in engineering, therefore I wanted to give her an opportunity to see what a college science class was like,” Winek said.
Vincenzia was able to work on laboratory activities in the biology, chemistry, computer science, dietetics, exercise science, forensic science, math and physics fields. In addition to the hands-on work, Vargo said she was able to work next to like-minded female students.
“It was so nice to meet the girls who also received the award,” she said, adding she also was able to speak with college students about their experience and preparation for their various programs of study.
The event was not Vargo's first experience with college laboratories, however.
In her spare time, she works at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering analyzing MRIs of the pelvis for future research. She's also completed various science-based courses via Pitt's online offerings and its Health Science Career Exploration Institute.
“It really exposed me to careers in health sciences, which I've become really interested in,” she said.
That interest also promoted Vincenzia to form the SWENext Club (The Society of Future Engineers) at Mars. All of this, she hopes, will help her gain acceptance to Pitt's School of Medicine Guaranteed Admit Program and eventually the University's School of Medicine.
Though they may seem lofty, Winek believes Vincenzia has the ability to achieve these goals and anything else she sets out to accomplish.
“She is an excellent student and is one of the hardest and most focused students that I have worked with in my 28 years of teaching,” Winek said.
