The world is a better place when we support each other and lean in together. When we fall into the trap of believing preconceived notions and stereotypes such as “girls can’t be scientists or mathematicians,” we are tearing down ourselves and preventing humanity from accelerating forward.

As a teenager and passionate advocate of STEM education, high school senior Amber Yang will share the story of how she learned to be fearless about pursing her goals and making a difference. The encouragement of the next generation of potential scientists, argues Yang, should never be undermined by preconceptions about gender.

Amber has just been accepted by both MIT and CalTech in her college application, with possibly more offers to come.