Breaking Barriers and Building Future: Four Graduates Reflect on their Work in STEM
Four Stempower graduates recently returned to Le Moyne College to serve as panelists for the program’s annual Women in STEM Careers Panel, offering current students a powerful glimpse into the possibilities that await them after graduation. Representing careers in biotechnology, cybersecurity, actuarial science, and engineering, the alumnae shared how their Le Moyne experiences helped shape their professional journeys and prepared them to navigate the rapidly evolving world of STEM. Their stories reflected both the diversity of opportunities available in STEM fields and the growing impact of women entering and succeeding in those careers. Yet despite the vast range of opportunities across science, technology, engineering and mathematics, women still hold only an estimated 27 percent of STEM jobs. Programs like Stempower seek to help change that reality by building confidence, community, mentorship, and professional readiness for women pursuing STEM degrees and careers.
The presence of Stempower alumnae on the panel carried special significance for current members of the program. Seeing women who once sat in their same classrooms and participated in the same mentoring and professional development experiences now thriving in STEM careers reinforces the value and long-term impact of the Stempower community. It transforms success from something abstract into something tangible and attainable. For current students, the alumnae serve not only as role models, but also as proof that confidence, community, and engagement can open doors to meaningful and rewarding careers in STEM.
What appeals most to Katie Kirkgasser ‘24 about her work is that it is constantly evolving. Kirkgasser is a research associate in the pharmacology department of the biotechnology and longevity firm Ichor Life Sciences. She lives in a professional world in which almost as soon as one question is answered, two more arise, and in which an article published today may well be obsolete six months from now. Given that, Kirkgasser believes that one of her chief roles is to build upon the knowledge she has acquired.
My love of learning keeps me in this space.”
Kirkgasser credits her passion for discovery with drawing her to the field of STEM and to Le Moyne. Her undergraduate years were absorbing, filled not just with her classwork as a biochemistry major and her time in Stempower, but with an internship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. All of that left her well prepared for the work she does today, which includes project management, scheduling, and protocol and report writing. Moving forward, she looks forward to cultivating her interest in and passion for human biology and biochemistry.
Like Kirkgasser, Ashley Green ’23 credits her time at Le Moyne with helping to prepare her for her current role as a threat hunter at NBCUniversal. Green first began working for the entertainment giant as an intern in its vulnerability management team, assessing electronic devices and cloud accounts for potential weaknesses and identifying ways to respond to them. Today, the cybersecurity major is part of a group of professionals in search of anything that may make the company vulnerable to a cyber attack. Her goal, and that of her colleagues, is to be proactive rather than reactive. No two days are the same, and Green loves the fact that she is constantly learning.
Be curious and be persistent.”
Aryanna Davila ’22 echoed Green’s call for those interested in STEM to nurture their curiosity and added this: “Build community.” An actuarial analyst at Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, she entered the field at a time in which forces from climate change to economic uncertainty are making it more important than ever for businesses of all sizes to identify, mitigate and manage risk While still early in her career, she has already found that establishing ties with others in your field to deeply rewarding. The mathematics major encouraged other women interested in STEM to extend themselves and to ask questions of others.
Community is very important to me, as is supporting other people. I am passionate about work, and I hope that I can encourage other people to uncover a passion for it as well.”
Like most people in STEM, Lindsey Bush ’23 is constantly thinking about the future, and what it will take to educate the next generation. Bush earned a bachelor’s degree in physics at Le Moyne’s and a master’s degree in engineering from Syracuse University through the Dual Degree Partnership Program. Her interest in engineering first revealed itself when she was a high school student and had the opportunity to take a course in CAD drawing. Now an engineer at Tetra Tech, where much of her work is centered around the design of primary and secondary schools. She likes the thought that there may be other emerging scientists and engineers in the structures she is helping to create.
Everything really had come full-circle.“
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Inspired by Their Journeys?
Through mentorship, hands-on experiences, and programs like Stempower, Le Moyne helps students in STEM build confidence, community, and career-ready skills.
