ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Google’s vice-president of ads Catherine Courage was two weeks into a summer program at the pathology lab in the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s nearly three decades ago when she wowed her supervisors with data graphs created on a 30-pound laptop with an early graphics program borrowed from her mom.
“I have to tell you they thought I was from the future – they were ‘Holy cow, how did you do that,’ said the St. John’s native in a telephone interview from California.
“And this was just one of these 'aha' moments in my career where even as someone young and inexperienced you bring a different perspective to the table and that you can be valued and contribute and be appreciated in ways that you did not expect. The last thing I ever expected was that I would be wowing anyone in that lab you know on Week 2.”
In those pre-internet days with information about careers in science, engineering and technology hard to come by for young women, Courage was fortunate to be surrounded by lots of encouragement and awareness at home — her mother and aunts having careers in academia and her father being a statistician.
Still, the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) NL’s Student Summer Employment Program (SSEP), which for 30 years has placed Grade 11 young women into hands-on paid summer positions in science, engineering, medicine and science promotion settings working alongside professionals — had an unforgettable impact on Courage, who has lived and worked in the U.S. for the past 20 years, moving up the ranks of the technology sector.
Coming into the WISE summer program from Gonzaga High School in 1991, Courage didn’t know exactly what her career goals were.
“I was curious about sciences, but the thought about a career seemed a little bit intimidating and I didn’t know exactly what a career in sciences actually meant and so WISE piqued my curiosity in terms of this was a good opportunity to understand what a career in sciences might ultimately mean,” Courage said.
The program celebrates its 30th anniversary Thursday with a gala. Courage would love to be there, but won’t be able to make it and has sent greetings.
The summer program, which is volunteer run and nonprofit with just one staff person, is as essential today as ever, said Courage, who was named one of the top 50 most powerful women in technology in 2014 by the National Diversity Council, one of 10 rising stars at the world’s most innovative companies by Forbes in 2013 and MUN’s alumna of the year in 2017.
“One hundred per cent. The numbers are still low,” Courage said of women in the science and engineering fields.
“We are not done until we get to a place where it’s 50-50 representation in these fields. We still see these trends where women are opting out of science for a variety of reasons and so I think it’s really important for women who want to have a diverse workplace to realize if you want that, you have got to invest early.”
She said she thinks the awareness should start in grade school, and while she’s not been directly involved in WISE since she lives out of country, the summer program planted a seed all those years ago about the importance of mentoring other women. Between her program mentors and those she encountered in academia as well as other students, it opened her eyes to the opportunities and diverse paths that she could take.
“So, it made a very strong foundation in me in the desire to mentor and coach and help other women who were interested in technology and so over the course of my career … I have always invested heavily in programs which encourage girls and women to get into science and engineering … You don’t always sign up to be a mentor, but you have to realize you naturally are a role model because the numbers are smaller for women in science and engineering,” Courage said.
St. John’s consultant Carolyn Emerson has been involved with the program from Day 1 — when she was then a research assistant in the faculty of science— and she has continued on as a dedicated volunteer.
Early organizers were motivated by a guest speaker at a provincial conference who spoke of the University of Alberta’s hands-on program for young women finishing Grade 11, Emerson said.
The first year in Newfoundland and Labrador — 1990 was a pilot project with federal funding, 33 participants and summer jobs centred around the St. John’s campus of Memorial University and the Marine Institute — the feedback was astounding.
More than 1,000 women across the island and Labrador have gone through the program which branched out to include other types of placements such as the Grenfell campus, Labrador Grenfell Health and organizations like the Johnson Geo Centre, the Manuels River Interpretation Centre and The Fluvarium.
Emerson said the participants form life-long friendships, get early exposure to campus life and academia and some have even been able to contribute to scientific papers at an early age.
“To hear the stories of young women, especially if from a smaller community, who wouldn’t know anybody, by the end of summer they are amazing. What a tightknit group they are,” Emerson said of watching students go through the program.
“We’re 30 years and going strong … WISE has been so impactful in this province. “
The program also shows a high parentage of participants continuing on to post-secondary education, with many securing jobs as research assistants, and a number of them have continued involvement in the program as mentors or volunteers.
“There has been this incredible legacy. It’s wonderful to see where these young women have gone,” Emerson said.
The challenge for WISE continues to be sustaining the delivery of the summer student program. It’s supported by Memorial University and funded by the provincial and federal governments and some industry supporters.
Emerson said she hopes the 30th anniversary celebration will inspire others who are interested in serving on the board and bringing fresh ideas to come forward.
In 1993, Christina Thorpe, now a professor and researcher in MUN’s psychology department, was a student at Holy Spirit in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, and was encouraged by a high school science teacher to apply for WISE’s summer program.
“I still would have gone to university but I think that one of the biggest things is I was in high school and getting the opportunity to come and get to know a professor, meet a lot of other girls interested in science, was a huge confidence builder,” said Thorpe, who went on to become a mentor herself.
“It wasn’t as intimidating for me coming to university. It made me realize that profs were real people. It just opened my eyes to the types of science research I didn’t know about before then.”
Besides their specific placements, students tour workplaces throughout the summer and are able to network.
One of Thorpe’s first students as a mentor was Christine Fontaine, who went on to become a neuroscientist, recipient of top prizes such as the Vanier scholarship, and is now a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Victoria.
The then Prince of Wales Collegiate student went through the program in 2008, spending the summer in the research lab, which she hadn’t thought about before.
“I think it really helped me realize my passion for experimentation, research and asking questions,” Fontaine said in an interview from Victoria.
“Dr. Thorpe was an amazing mentor.”
Fontaine went on to volunteer and work in Thorpe’s lab, as well as become a volunteer for the summer program.
“Without the summer program, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” she said.
Fontaine said it’s still vitally important to teach students from across the province that they can stay in their communities with many of the career paths they choose in science, technology and math.
“The province of Newfoundland and Labrador really needs these highly trained people,” she said, adding some of the participants she’s known in the program have gone on to start businesses, become doctors and researchers.
One of the program’s more recent alumni, Jane Kenny, completed a 2016 placement at the Hibernia Enhanced Oil Recovery Lab with Lesley James, and then was a co-ordinator for the past two summers.
The Waterford Valley High graduate is studying geography at Memorial University and said she learned through the WISE summer program that it’s about more than just maps — that geography can lead to a career in such things as urban planning, and professions that tackle immigration and climate change issues.
Since her own high school experience, she’s watched 80-90 other students go through the program, she said, adding just one tour of the Ocean Sciences Centre amazed the participants.
“They just couldn’t believe all the opportunities,’ she said.
“Women in science and engineering is still not equal or not where it should be. It’s gotten better, but there’s still a long ways to go.”
Kelsey Howlett was the program administrator before switching jobs to become the program manager for Junior Achievement.
Now a member of the WISE NL board, she said the exposure to career opportunities, as well as the networking, are the biggest takeaways for summer work program participants.
It’s especially essential for students from rural areas of the province and Labrador, she said.
“I am just really passionate about that program. I honestly want to see it succeed and continue on,” Howlett said.
WISE also organizes mentorships for female university students and will host an indigenous conference in the spring for both male and female high school students.
Information on the summer employment program is available at http://wisenl.ca/ssep
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