Formidable Woman Magazine’s “POWER 20” Online Magazine spotlights 20 accomplished women making extraordinary strides in their industries. These women inspire the next woman to be bold, to unapologetic, to be great!
FWM: Who is Aisha and what is your superpower?
Great questions! Who am I? Aisha Martin is a scientist, author, speaker, educator, entrepreneur, wife, and mother. Wow! That’s a mouthful. To sum it all up, you can say that I’m multifaceted which, when added to my gifts of being an analytical problem solver and a bridge-builder, are the things that make up my superpower.
I have been a STEM girl my entire life. I was always coming up with creative ways to make money and I was an inquisitive intellectual who loved to read, investigate and figure things out. I’m still that way. Unsolved Mysteries and the game Clue were some of my faves growing up! I’m a strategist who loves to win, so I’m the girl you want on your kickball team and the one who can help you get out of that escape room (ha, ha)!
I was a cheerleader in junior high, high school and college and that is deeply ingrained in me. I love cheering other women on, hearing their success stories and watching their trajectories. It empowers me to do the same. Iron sharpens iron! This is who I am.
Engaging girls from underserved and historically underrepresented communities through early exposure to STEM education…
FWM: How can women who want to do what you do gain access and support?
When I started my STEM journey, I didn’t have a mentor in the field to help me navigate through this industry. There was not as much female representation then, as we have now. As a STEMinist, my goal is to change that. No one showed me all of my options or fully equipped me with the tools I needed to dominate my career field. I thought you either became an educator, worked in a lab or went to medical school and that was it! STEM is so much more than that! STEM girls run the world, so we’re everywhere.
We are designing and building cars, and bridges. We are the hidden figures behind the world’s most successful cosmetic brands. We’re developing apps and other software. We’re sending astronauts to space and bringing them home safely.
We ARE astronauts for that matter! We’re performing research in the lab, developing COVID-19 vaccines and cures for cancer (shout out to Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett and Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green). We are scientists by day and scientific rappers by night (Kudos Raven the Science Maven). We are innovators and visionaries!
My advice to women who want to pursue a career in this field is to stop thinking about it and just do it! Start attending STEM conferences so that you can meet and network with women in the field. Identify people on social media who are doing what you want to do and reach out to them professionally and seek advice and/or mentorship. I am one of those women, so I encourage women to connect with me through my social media platforms or one of my websites.
Brush up in areas where you are deficient by taking courses such as math, science, public speaking, writing, business, etc. My skills extend beyond the lab, so no one will ever be able to tell me that I can only excel at one thing. I have found ways to incorporate my scientific education and experience into other areas of my life. So, I encourage women who want to do what I do, to maximize and monetize their unique skill set without putting themselves in a box, because opportunities in STEM are vast and women in STEM are diverse and extremely talented in so many different areas.
A STEM career is far from a linear path, so don’t limit yourself. There is a strong community of women in STEM who are supportive and more than willing to mentor and guide those who are interested in this industry. So nothing is holding you back but fear!
FWM: You’re a serious BOSS! Tell us, what are you working on and what’s next for you?
Thank you, I appreciate that! I wish I could tell you everything right now, but some things are still incubating. So until they’re manifested, unfortunately my lips are sealed. However, my mantra is girls can’t be what they don’t see. So, what I CAN say is that because I truly believe that representation matters and I have a mogul mindset, I am hard at work creating content and building my STEM organization Fems4STEM™, into a STEM brand that will empower girls and women globally to dominate this industry.
This includes everything from a specialized mentoring program, digital and print media, STEM related products and more. I want girls and women to see what they can accomplish and to achieve their full potential. I am going to do everything in my power to equip them with the tools they need to make this happen.
I have recently decided to go back to school and pursue a PsyD in Forensic Psychology. I’ve narrowed my list down to my top two schools and I will be applying for admission soon. I am excited about starting that chapter in my life. I am also putting the finishing touches on a book that I’ve been writing. The subject matter is near and dear to my heart and one that I believe will resonate with people globally. Stay tuned!!
Websites:
www.aishanicole.com and www.fems4stem.org
Social Media:
Facebook: Mrs.AishaNicole and Fems4STEM
Instagram: @mrs.aishanicole and @fems4stem
Twitter: @MrsAishaNicole and @fems4STEM
Aisha Martin a nurturer by nature is a cultured, creative, powerhouse with a youthful spirit and personable demeanor. Raised and educated primarily in Europe she has combined her artistic gifts, global travel, and experiences as a seasoned biologist with her heart for inspiring girls to be authentic, confident STEM leaders. Aisha’s STEM journey spans almost a decade and began at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA as a Molecular Biologist.
As a certified Girls Empowerment Coach and STEMinist, her vision is to close the “gender gap to innovation,” by engaging girls from underserved and historically underrepresented communities through early exposure to STEM education and specialized mentoring. Aisha’s mantra is “girls can’t be what they don’t see!” This was the inspiration behind Fems4STEM™ which she founded in 2015.
Aisha holds a BS in Biology and a MS in Forensic Science from National University.She has been featured in many publications, Connected Woman Magazine and Fierce Life Magazine, to name a few. She has co-authored and been a contributing author of several empowerment books including: Letters to Our Daughters, The Miseducation of the Alpha Woman and Black Girls Hear. Her dedication to empowering girls was recognized by the White House in 2015.
Photo Credit: Kevin Goolsby
