SheTech Explorer Day 2025 brought together over three thousand young women from across the state of Utah to explore STEM careers, connect with industry leaders, and gain confidence in pursuing opportunities in technology and innovation.
SheTech Explorer Day 2025 brought together over three thousand high school girls at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy, Utah, for a day of exploration, mentorship, and hands-on STEM experiences. Organized by the Women Tech Council, the event aimed to inspire young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through workshops, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities with professionals in the field. The event provided numerous opportunities for young women, including several SheTech media interns, to interact meaningfully with over one thousand industry mentors, and participate in over 50 hands-on, tech-oriented workshops.
SheTech media intern Haylee Heiner sat down with Amber Collier, an airline mechanic at SkyWest Airlines, to discuss how SheTech influenced her career path. "Looking back at all the things I did back in high school like participating in SheTech and all of my auto shop classes and diesel tech, those kinds of things helped me and gave me more experience to build the comfort I needed to enter a realm of only men," shared Collier.
Collier said she keeps returning to SheTech and Explorer Day because she "loves the atmosphere and community." She elaborated, "When you come here to SheTech, you see that you are not alone. There are so many other women who are interested in the same things you are. It teaches you that the idea of women in STEM is not impossible. SheTech gave me the confidence to enter into my field. I love it now, but it was scary at first. Seeing other women around me doing the same thing helped a ton. I feel more comfortable and empowered here."
Lexi Araujo and Isabelle Wolchek explored the variety of opportunities at SheTech, from microbiology workshops to interviews with female STEM professionals like Tara Rosander, a managing partner at Xceed Consulting. Rosander emphasized the importance of technology in her work, explaining, "I use technology to train consulting chatbots to pull information from different sources." When asked what advice she had for high school girls in attendance, she encouraged them to "just go for it and explore all the different applications of technology."
Isabelle and Lexi also spoke with Dr. Alex Lawrence, a college professor at Weber State University and owner of EV Auto, a chain of dealers that exclusively sells EVs of all kinds. He advised, "Pursue whatever it is that intrigues you the most, and don’t worry about the company, the opportunities, job titles, or if it is male-dominated."
Kate Topham had the opportunity to interview students about their experiences at SheTech. One girl remarked, "I love how creative it is. The mentors give a lot of valuable information that can help find a fitting future career." Another student added, "Talking to the mentors and learning about their careers has been a highlight. They have unique insights about potential options in STEM."
Mallory, a student from Ignite Collegiate, shared her appreciation for the event: "I just love the community and all of these women coming together. It’s just such a great atmosphere, everything is so positive, and I have had such a great experience." Libby, Annecy, and Sophie from Lone Peak High School also weighed in. Libby said, "I think it’s super cool how much STEM is involved in everything!" Annecy agreed, stating, "Before SheTech, I didn’t realize how no matter what career you go into, there’s always going to be STEM options involved." Sophie highlighted a workshop that challenged her to think in new ways, saying, "We had to think like computers."
Lisa Kimball of Green Canyon High School in North Logan and Bree O'Connor, a senior from Grantsville High school sat down with Vance Checketts, CEO of auticon US. Checketts emphasized accessibility, "It is important to make tech careers accessible because technology has such a large impact on all of our lives." Kimball and O'Connor also interviewed Kristina Roller, who shared her experiences as the only woman in her college engineering classes and the importance of encouraging girls to enter STEM fields.
Lynny Gibson and Serena Dearden interviewed Cole Kelly, a member of the Utah State Board of Education and a Financial Literacy teacher at American Fork High School. Kelly shared his advice for young women: "Take advice from experts. Find mentors that you want to emulate and ask them all of the questions. You're going to find the best advice from those who are doing the things you want to pursue." Reflecting on the event, he added, "As a member of the State Board of Education, we support this event. This is a phenomenal event."
Siya Jain and Rumaana Patel interviewed Lindsey Henderson, former math specialist for the Utah Board of Education, and Denise Leleux, former eBay and Tesla executive and current VP at AvidXchange.
Henderson advised attendees, "Be bold and don’t be afraid to share your ideas and thoughts, because what you have to offer is really important." A student at SheTech shared that while she may not personally be interested in STEM, the event helped many others explore career options and inspired them to try something new.
Leleux spoke about her passion for leadership, problem-solving, and innovation, which have shaped her career. Leleux encourages young women to "lean in, say yes to projects, ask questions, be inquisitive, be curious, and every day be smarter at the end of the day."
Serena Dearden and Arianna Berchan Bridges connected with Ben Capell, Managing Director at Peterson Ventures, and Emma Curtis, a software engineer at Space Dynamics Laboratory. Both shared insights about taking risks and embracing new opportunities.
Capell described his company as "an early-stage capital fund focused on investing in startup companies." Offering advice to young women in STEM, he encouraged them to be "open to new experiences and willing to go against the grain," adding, "Some of the best opportunities are experiences that you don’t anticipate, or sometimes the road less traveled.
Curtis emphasized the importance of exploration: "Envision yourself in these kinds of roles and try it out. Don’t tell yourself no before you try." Curtis recalled how her high school robotics and programming classes sparked her interest in software engineering.
Shae Stephenson sat down with a large group of girls from Karl G. Maeser Prep who were interested in the medical field. They also attended SheTech to see how different STEM careers intersect. "We like seeing how everyone can come together while they all have different jobs but still work together and make something big like this work," they shared.
Ashley Butler, a parent attending the event with her teenage daughter, echoed this sentiment. "I love that there’s something out there for females, simply for them to be able to enter into a world, a corporate world, and have the opportunity to explore all the possibilities," she said.
SheTech Explorer Day 2025 was a resounding success, offering over three thousand young women the inspiration, mentorship, and confidence to pursue careers in STEM and to connect them with mentors that can help them in their journeys. With opportunities to engage with professionals, participate in hands-on activities, and network with peers, the event left a lasting impression on thousands of attendees, empowering the next generation of innovators and leaders.
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