The co-founders of Maker Girl are sharing their 7 Q+As, so fun! MakerGirl introduces 7-10 year old girls in the Champaign-Urbana area to the exciting world of STEM fields through 3D printing and creative activities. And we are elated to announce that they will be part of our LadyFest calendar!! More details to come on that, until then let’s celebrate the makers of Maker Girl: Elizabeth Engele, Julia Haried, and Sophie Li!
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Elizabeth: What are you grateful for today?
I’m thankful for the opportunity to attend an amazing university that is filled with a diverse, intelligent student body that continually fascinates me. The University of Illinois has prepared me for a bright future and has taught me that I can achieve anything if I continue to have faith, pursue my passions, and work to my highest potential.
Elizabeth: Tell us about one of your friends and what you love about her.
One of my friends is currently pursuing a career in occupational therapy and is attending graduate school a year earlier than when she should be attending. She continually inspires me because she works hard, does all that she can for her friends and family, and is incredibly sweet!
Julia: Describe one of the best days of your life.
One of the best of my life happened this spring break in Puerto Rico. I woke about at 4:15am and started my first half marathon downtown Puerto Rico at 5am. For the first hour we ran in the dark until the sun rose around 6am. The race took physical strength, but more importantly mental strength. The final mile of the run had us running towards the sun rise with the pink hued waves crashing in a few hundred yards below. Completing the half marathon was a personal accomplishment and goal of 2015 for me. After I finished, I met up with two of my best friends and we spent the rest of the day on a boat, snorkeling, swimming, reading, enjoying the sun, and eating on an island off the coast of Puerto Rico.
Julia: What’s the best lesson you learned from your mother/grandmother?
My mother lives her life with passion. When she loves, she loves deeply with her entire heart. When she learns, she reads every book she can find about a subject. When she is angry, she expresses her anger and does not hold it inside of herself. From my mother, I have learned to live life with passion and express this passion with the people in life. Passionate people drive change and make possibilities reality, independent of excuses or circumstances.
Sophia: We’re all unique. What is your special gift?
My gift is that I always have a sense of appreciation in life no matter what happens. Being happy and thankful are my attitude towards my life and towards people who are around me. It is my hope that my positive attitude can bring more joy to this world.
Sophia: What could women be doing to make their community a better place?
Women have so many unique and valuable skills to bring to the table, that are essential to the development of the society. Women could use their attentions to details and sharp instincts to identify the problems in the community and develop solutions by connecting the dots. Women could bring love, joy, happiness to the community and make the community more lively and colorful by their appeal to emotions.
Sophia: What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
I would try every single possible career in the world, go to every corner of the world, and talk to everyone that I meet if I weren’t afraid. There are so many physical and emotional boundaries that people build to each other currently. I hope women in our community can at least make the effort to break the boundaries fearlessly to live fully.
