Tech Trek Alumnae Group of the South Bay (TTAG)
TTAG is a group of alumnae who have attended a Tech Trek camp. We meet monthly and discuss opportunities to learn more about STEM majors, college scholarships, internships, and field trips to local STEM workplaces and colleges. We also plan educational events for the community, such as College Prep 101 and Women in STEM careers forums.
Tech Trek Alumnae Group Holds Annual Women in STEM Careers Forum
by Denise DeVenuto (TTAG Advisor for PV Branch)
Each year since 2015, the Tech Trek Alumnae Group of the South Bay (TTAG) has held a forum featuring young women who each share a presentation about their STEM career. We held our annual event on April 6 via Zoom. Thirty-five attendees heard from three speakers. These included Sophie Maguy, a Stanford graduate who helped found TTAG in 2014, and is a finance manager specializing in renewable energyprojects; Sabrina Alvarez, a Lockheed Martin electrical engineer selected by the Palos Verdes AAUW branch to attend Tech Trek camp in 2015; and Dr. Nazanin Azadi, an interventional cardiologist who shared the challenges she met while completing her specialty training and starting afamily.
The audience consisted of TTAG members who are in grades 8-12, as well as several AAUW members from branches throughout California. A post forum survey yielded many positive comments about each of the speakers, such as this one from a TTAG member:
“I really liked everything about Sabrina Alvarez’s presentation and that she included some of the real practical decisions she made, like how she chose her high school (California Academy of Math and Science), how she decided to go so far away to college (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) and how she overcame homesickness, and also some challenging classes by seeking out help and support, and building relationships with mentors and friends in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. I loved her story about getting her first internship with MOOG, and also her tips to younger girls to be ‘willing to learn’ and to not be afraid to fail.”
It should be noted that our forums are run by the TTAG members. They act as liaisons and introduce the speakers, monitor the questions in the Zoom chat, and act as emcee. Each fall, we also hold another speaker forum, College Prep 101, which includes topics such as strategies for creating a college list, the importance of extracurricular activities, effective application essays, financial aid, scholarships, and tips for success in highschool. Branch members and their guests may attend any of our forums by emailing me to request RSVP information and the Zoom link.
TTAG Annual Picnic 2024
by Denise DeVenuto
Thirty-three TTAG members gathered at Delthorne Park in Torrance on August 4 for our annual picnic,which has been held since 2015. The girls who attended were Tech Trek campers that had been selected by the three local AAUW branches: Palos Verdes, Beach Cities and Torrance. Eleven girls from each of the branchesparticipated. Several parents stayed for the event and enjoyed the beautiful weather and pleasant setting. Six Palos Verdes campers became new TTAG member that day by completing an application. Five are 2024campers, and one was a 2023 camper. Subsequently, six additional 2024 campers joined TTAG at CelebrateTech Trek on August 18. The girls enjoyed pizza and an abundance of goodies brought by campers and parents, as well as games and ice breaker activities. Three of the more senior TTAG members spoke to the girls and shared tips for a successful school year, and resources for applying to college.
We are looking forward to an exciting season of events and activities, including a tour of a local aerospacecompany that is producing the new Mars Rover, and our customary speaker forums on Women in STEM Careers and College Prep 101.
Tech Trek Alumnae Group (TTAG) Summer 2023 Update
by Denise DeVenuto, AAUW PVP TTAG Advisor
I’m excited to share with you that our South Bay Tech Trek Alumnae Group is thriving and enjoying our summer. Our annual picnic was well-attended and held at a park in Torrance on August 6, in a beautiful setting that included great weather. The Torrance AAUW branch generously provided ten pizzas, and several alumnae campers and branch members from all three branches (PVP, Beach Cities, and Torrance) brought dessert and other treats.
At our monthly meeting on August 12, we had a very productive discussion on tips for applying to college, as well as selective public high schools. We followed up by setting a date of October 8 for South Bay TTAG’s annual College Prep 101 forum via Zoom. For further information on this event or how you can become a TTAG Advisor or mentor one of these remarkable young women, please contact me at dendev88@gmail.com.
2018 Tech Trek Campers’ Post-High School Plans
by Denise DeVenuto, Palos Verdes TTAG Advisor
Of the fifteen alumnae campers who attended Tech Trek camp in 2018, I was able to speak with ten girls last week about their post-high school plans. Of these ten, all the girls but one will be attending one of thesecolleges in the fall and focusing on one of the following STEM majors:
UC Santa Cruz – Biology
UC Davis – Environmental Studies and Management UCDavis – Molecular and Medical Biology
UC Santa Barbara – Cellular Biology
UC Santa Barbara – Environmental Studies Cal Poly San Luis Obispo – Biological Science Cal State Northridge – Computer EngineeringUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa – Biology
University of Notre Dame – Mechanical Engineering
As you can see, this is a very impressive group of ambitious young women who benefited from their weekat Tech Trek camp in choosing to pursue a major in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) field.They are all high achievers with excellent academic records in middle school and high school, many of whom are the first in their family to attend college.
One of these alumnae campers has been an active member and leader of the South Bay Tech Trek
Alumnae Group (TTAG) since the eighth grade. Margarita Alejandre Navarro has served as MembershipCoordinator, Vice President and President, and she discussed in one of her college application essays how TTAGwas instrumental in helping develop her leadership skills. “This group became my community where I was able to receive support and offer support. I was inspired to continue to volunteer my time in TTAG because I wanted to become the role model that others had been for me while I wasprogressing through high school. I am glad that I’ve been able to be a part of this group as it continues to grow, and become an important part in many young girls’ lives.”
How do I join as an alumnae camper?
If you were selected to attend a Tech Trek Camp by the Palos Verdes, Torrance, or Beach Cities branches, we’d love for you to join our TTAG group! Email techtrekalum@yahoo.com to be added to our email list and learn more about our upcoming events. Please give us your first and last name, your preferred email address, your cell phone number, your school, your grade in middle or high school (or year in college), the university campus where you attended Tech Trek camp and which year, or the year you attended a Tech Trek virtual camp.
We meet monthly at 9:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month.
How do I become involved as an adult TTAG branch advisor or mentor?
Branch members are encouraged to become involved as a mentor to one or more TTAG members to help guide them through their eighth grade course selection process, as well as following through for at least the first year of high school to ensure that they have a successful start on their path to a STEM major in college. There are also opportunities to help plan events.
Currently, Denise DeVenuto is the TTAG Advisor for the Palos Verdes branch, and has been participating in this role since 2015. She invites you to contact her if you’d like to help out as an additional TTAG Advisor for our branch.