It can be lonely for a woman in the technology field.
At the college level, men earn 82 percent of engineering and computer science degrees. And while women make up 47 percent of the overall workforce, they constitute only 27 percent of the science and engineering workforce. Isolation and lack of mentors often prevent women from pursuing and advancing in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
In The Athena Factor, a 2008 research report by the Harvard Business Review, one-third of women in private-sector science, engineering, and technology jobs said they felt extremely isolated at work. In the same study, 40 percent of technical women reported a lack of role models, while nearly half reported a lack of mentors, and 84 percent reported a lack of sponsors or someone who would help make their accomplishments visible throughout the organization.
Here, we're highlighting some women who are excelling in the technology field and serving as mentors for other young women.
Are you a woman working in a STEM field? Join the conversation. Share your photos and tell us about the women who inspired you.
STEM Stories: How Mentors Are Changing the Conversation For Young Women
Stela Stefanova: Leading a Tech Education Powerhouse in Bulgaria(01 of06)
Stela Stefanova is the principal of a highly competitive technical high school in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has a Ph.D. in digital signal processing and has authored many scientific papers in Bulgarian and international journals. As an instructor in the school’s rigorous networking technology program, Stella has transformed a Soviet-era high school into a technical education powerhouse. Her students regularly take home top honors at national and international networking competitions. “Our students go on to work in ICT at big companies as programmers and networking specialists,” she says. “They go into good careers and take leading positions.” Read her story here. (credit:<a href="http://csr.cisco.com/" target="_blank" role="link" rel="sponsored" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Cisco CSR" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb1b8e2e4b01857b70aeb0b" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://csr.cisco.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="11" data-vars-position-in-unit="12">Cisco CSR</a>)
Dr. Akila Sarirete: Creating Opportunity in Saudi Arabia(02 of06)
Dr. Akila Sarirete worked as a software engineer in Canada and the United States before joining the faculty at Effat University in Saudi Arabia as a lecturer and IT supervisor in 2002. In 2004, the university adopted the Cisco Networking Academy curriculum to expand employment options for women and help advance their careers. Under the leadership of Dr. Sarirete, the program has become a training ground for the next generation of women leaders in Saudi Arabia. She has watched the job market change, with more companies considering women for positions traditionally held by men. Read her story here. (credit:<a href="http://csr.cisco.com/" target="_blank" role="link" rel="sponsored" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Cisco CSR" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb1b8e2e4b01857b70aeb0b" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://csr.cisco.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="9" data-vars-position-in-unit="10">Cisco CSR</a>)
Soso Luningo: Inspiring Students in South Africa(03 of06)
Soso Luningo (third from left) grew up in a shack in a small village in South Africa. Through intelligence and hard work, she earned a scholarship to CIDA City Campus in Johannesburg, a nonprofit institution of higher education serving students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. In 2003 CIDA established an ICT Academy, which has become a pipeline for graduates interested in technology and for businesses seeking skilled workers. After earning her bachelor’s degree and Cisco CCNA certification, Soso became the youngest IT technician and only woman on the IT staff at Queens Casino in Queenstown. Within three months, she was promoted to network administrator and team manager. With her salary, Soso was able to build a new home for herself and her parents in the Eastern Cape village where she grew up. Today she works as a trainer at the CIDA ICT Academy, guiding students down the same path she traveled to a prosperous, fulfilling future. Read her story here. (credit:<a href="http://csr.cisco.com/" target="_blank" role="link" rel="sponsored" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Cisco CSR" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb1b8e2e4b01857b70aeb0b" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://csr.cisco.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="7" data-vars-position-in-unit="8">Cisco CSR</a>)
Babalwa Dube: Modeling Success for Women and Girls(04 of06)
Babalwa Dube started as a volunteer at the Tembisa Community Knowledge Center (CKC) in South Africa and eventually became the manager and owner of a CKC in Ivory Park, a former township with a population of 100,000 black South Africans, eight schools, two health clinics, and one police station. Close to 100 adults attend classes at Ivory Park and many more regularly use its technology services. Babalwa provides support, encouragement, and a model of success, especially for girls and women. She started a women's club discussion group to motivate and empower women, and organized a Winter Camp for environment and leadership studies at the nearby Sukerbos Nature Reserve. “I was always interested in technology,” she said. “I played with boys, connecting TVs and radios, wanting to learn more. Most of the people have never touched a computer. They are scared to touch the mouse. When they start, you see the warmth in their eyes.” Read her story here. (credit:<a href="http://csr.cisco.com/" target="_blank" role="link" rel="sponsored" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Cisco CSR" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb1b8e2e4b01857b70aeb0b" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://csr.cisco.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="5" data-vars-position-in-unit="6">Cisco CSR</a>)
Courtney Beard: Looking for Challenges and Opportunities to Grow in the U.S.(05 of06)
Courtney Beard joined the U.S. Air Force in 2007. She served one year in Iraq, overseeing Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operations for United States Forces Iraq (USF-I). While there, she completed her associate’s degree in intelligence studies and technology. After separating from the Air Force, she was accepted to the Warrior to Cyber Warrior program, a six-month cyber security program that prepares veterans for the CompTIA Security + certification and helps them improve their resumes and practice interviewing techniques. In October 2012, Courtney was hired at Cisco to provide support for customers in the public sector. “IT is a great field to be in,” she says. “There are many jobs open now and I think the amount of IT jobs will going to continue to grow over time. IT skills are challenging to acquire, but they are very valuable to have in the long run.” Read her story here. (credit:<a href="http://csr.cisco.com/" target="_blank" role="link" rel="sponsored" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Cisco CSR" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb1b8e2e4b01857b70aeb0b" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://csr.cisco.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="3" data-vars-position-in-unit="4">Cisco CSR</a>)
Nada Krkobabic: Creating Connections for Women In Serbia(06 of06)
Nada Krkobabic lost her IT job with a real estate company when the market crashed in 2008. She discovered the F_Email project, a competitive IT training program at the University of Belgrade in Serbia that combines technical and soft skills training in a small group setting, preparing women to bring their strengths and talents to the country's developing IT sector. She is now an instructor with the program and an IT administrator with a local mobile communications company. She gets to know F_Email project participants and recommends them to employers. “That personal connection is important … a network of real people connecting with each other," Nada says. "We make friends and make business opportunities.” Read her story here. (credit:<a href="http://csr.cisco.com/" target="_blank" role="link" rel="sponsored" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Cisco CSR" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5bb1b8e2e4b01857b70aeb0b" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://csr.cisco.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="1" data-vars-position-in-unit="2">Cisco CSR</a>)
This post is part of a series sponsored by Cisco and its partners promoting women in STEM. Check out more stories about women in STEM here. Find out even more on HuffPost ImpactX, where people, technology, and social impact converge.