Spotlight: Determined to Succeed

Determined to Succeed

Story by Lily Combs, Shadow Ridge High School Journalism student. Photo by Ginia McFarland

Only 13% of the U.S. engineering workforce are women. Less than 220,000 females alongside roughly 1.5 million men - one of the biggest gender gaps in our country. Anesah Price first confronted this reality as she entered Engineering 1/2 her freshman year at Shadow Ridge High School and only caught sight of two other girls. Now in her senior year, she is the only one left in Engineering 7/8. After overcoming initial feelings of panic and anxiety, Price desires to join those daring 220,000 female engineers and help raise that 13%.

Anesah Price has had her eyes set on engineering since the 7th grade. Her attention in this bold career was first captured when she saw “engineering” included in the list of future jobs presented by her literature teacher. “I asked my dad and mom about it, and I found out my older brother was studying to be an engineer. I looked into it more and actually fell in love with it.” From the 7th grade on, she has fervently pursued an engineering life.

Over time, Price has developed an interest in designing video games as a software engineer. “I want to make role-playing games (RPG) games, which are story games,” says Price. “I want to make a change for just the pure love of a good story. It’s not going to be much, but with everything that’s happening, sometimes you need that second of a distraction to enjoy a good game.”

Three years as one of a few girls in her high school engineering classes has not slowed this dream down, even when Price is outnumbered 27 to one by the boys in Engineering 7/8. While having been scared at first, Price now feels right at home in the class. “It just becomes like a really big family at the end of the day,” Price explains.

With graduation right around the corner, Price plans on attending Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott next year. This high ranking college offers various engineering degrees such as Simulation Science, Gaming and Animation, Price’s choice degree. She is prepared to conquer complex subjects such physics, calculus, analytic geometry, and computer science. However, while being one of the nation’s top undergraduate schools in engineering, only 25% of Embry students are female. Price still does not let this daunting fact stand in the way of her determination. “I’m a little worried about the environment,” Price explains. “But [when] it comes down to it, I’m in school with people who have the same general interests as me, so I’m going to find common ground with someone.”

As high school comes to an end and college draws near, Price is primed to go deeper into engineering and grow that 220,000. Excited and steadfast, she is ready to join the 13% and break preconceptions about women in engineering. She is determined to be seen as, “the girl who is dominating in the engineering field.”