Growing up I didn’t play with the typical “girl toys.” My first toys were blocks, Legos, puzzles, and Hot Wheels. Now I had a doll or two, but those weren’t typically my first pick. My parents bought me toys that expanded my mind. My mom was very concerned with teaching me about spatial reasoning, which is something that many traditional “girl toys” don’t easily teach. Starting at a young age my mom also did flashcards with me to teach me the alphabet, words, addition, and subtraction. My mom was all about balancing play time with learning time.
Since I had many blocks and Legos, I didn’t play with Barbie or Ken. In fact my parents never bought me dolls, but I had a few that were given as gifts. Instead of dolls, I asked for a GI Joe to go with Barbie’s plane and jeep that I picked out at Toys”R”Us. There is nothing wrong with a girl playing with Barbie, but also there is also nothing wrong with a girl wanting to play with toys that are traditionally for boys. So why did I get made fun of for playing with those toys?
So you may wonder why I wanted a GI Joe. Well to me GI Joe represented my dad and his fellow service men in the military. I grew up a military brat so I was constantly surrounded by men in military uniform. GI Joe was familiar with his camo uniform and combat boots. My dad was an F-15 pilot and instructor in the United States Air Force. So I am guessing you can figure out why I chose Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. After seeing fighter planes on base, going to airshows, and hearing fighter jets pass over my home town almost every day I got hooked on aerospace.
By showing a preference for the nontraditional toys for my gender I was judged by my peers, but how did they learn what was the right toys for boys and girls? At such a young age many children are taught what is right and wrong for each gender. My household had 3 daughters but no sons. In my house there was no right or wrong toy. I was allowed, even encouraged, to show an interest in building birdhouses in the garage, which was later taken over by honey bees. I took up an interest in music so my mom arranged for piano and violin lessons. Every time I showed an interest in learning I always had my mom on my side.
Looking back on my childhood I realize that the toys I had and the experiences my parents provided helped me feel confident enough to become an engineer. My parents were supportive of the fact that I liked to play with traditional “boy toys.” My dad allowed me to even work in the garage with him and start using power tools at a young age. I was fascinated with building. My mom took us to museums, science centers, art exhibits, and theatre performances. She was constantly encouraging us to learn and broaden our minds. Without the encouragement of my mom and my dad’s influential pilot career, I am not sure I would be the engineer I have become.
Emily Huber
Chief Technology Officer
Comentarios