Thank you to Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) alumni Dr. Melanie Ratnam for taking time out of her busy schedule to mentor students at St. John Paul II Catholic Secondary School during Women's History Month in October. As part of her presentation to students on how to innovate in the field of electric vehicles and transportation, Dr. Ratnam highlighted the significance of thinking critically and being good at problem solving in order to innovate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.
As an alumni of St. Rose of Lima Catholic School and Notre Dame High School, Dr. Ratnam has seen the benefits first-hand of mentoring young people and providing them with guidance to succeed in their career pathways. She knows that there are limitless opportunities for women and equity-deserving groups to achieve their dreams, especially in STEM fields.
Dr. Ratnam is the President of The Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST), an organization that has dedicated over 40 years to advancing gender equality and removing systemic barriers in STEM for equity-deserving groups nationwide. Through her representing SCWIST at gender equality and STEM policy forums across Canada, this has allowed for SCWIST to develop a national strategy that addresses systemic disparities in the STEM ecosystem spanning from early education to career progression. Dr. Ratnam's mission has been to bring national initiatives at SCWIST to her hometown of Scarborough, which is home to many newcomers and is one of the most racially diverse regions in Canada. Mentoring over 1000 elementary, high school, and university students, she empowers them to tackle pressing challenges such as climate change, and to formulate sustainable solutions to transportation through innovations in science and technology.
Dr. Ratman firmly believes that mentorship opportunities from experts in the field is one of many ways to bring out the creative side of students, which is needed to find solutions to address complex problems in our world today. SJPII students also enjoyed the opportunity to interact with Dr. Ratnam and learn about the available pathways to them in the field of STEM Innovation. Dr. Ratnam hopes that this is the first of many initiatives to provide students at TCDSB schools the opportunity to acquire knowledge on STEM career pathways.
Thank you for your time, Dr. Ratnam!
