By Cailin Acosta
SAN DIEGO – “Growing up, both of my grandfathers were engineers, and I was always told we needed more women in all areas of STEM,” Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) told 3rd to 8th grade girls who attended the All-Girls STEM Society meeting at the Mission Valley Branch Library on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Jacobs gave a history of her involvement in STEM and when looking out to the young girls’ faces, she told them she had no idea she would be running for Congress or even thought about getting into politics. She asked the girls if they knew what Congress was and what it does. About half of the girls raised their hands so she gave a brief description that she is the representative of San Diego in Washington DC. She said her job is to write bills and to educate all the other representatives, including the President of the needs of San Diego.
When she was younger, she thought she would be going into science and engineering just like her grandfathers had. As she got older, she worked at the United Nations and in the U.S. State Department on international conflict resolution policies. Working on what San Diego needed and what policies could affect her hometown became her focus when she was in graduate school.
Jacobs gave the girls advice before starting the question-and-answer session. That advice was to pick a problem and to learn every aspect of that problem and maybe that problem includes research. Maybe that problem is in education and requires advocacy. Within that problem, think about how you uniquely can solve that problem and what solutions can arise from that problem. In this time in government, adults do not have all the answers, so bringing in young people and ideas and working together needs to be a collaborative effort. Jacobs told the girls just because you are young, don’t let that be a hindrance in reaching their goals. Now more than ever, the country needs your voices, your creativity and your ideas.
The young girls asked her many questions that she enjoyed answering. For example, she spent Friday, Nov. 22 at the White House talking to President Joe Biden. She does not fly on a private jet. She flew commercial on a United flight back to San Diego. Famous people she has met include former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michele Obama, President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris. In her free time, she confessed she is a workaholic and works too much. She does enjoy spending time with her family, lifting weights and exercising. She stated she needs to work on adding more down time and hobbies.
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I was able to ask a few questions focusing on the upcoming holidays as Jacobs was leaving:
Q: With Thanksgiving around the corner, what are you grateful for?
A: I am grateful for my family and my health and that this amazing community has put their trust in me to represent them.
Q: What are you looking forward to having on the table on Thanksgiving Day?
A: I love sweet potato casserole, and I love apple pie.
Q: With Chanukah coming up, where will you be celebrating?
A: We will most likely gather at my grandfather’s [Qualcomm cofounder Irwin Jacob’s] house. My niece is two and a half and my nephew is turning one this week so it will be fun to get to see Chanukah through their eyes.
Q: With Chanukah landing on Christmas Day, do you incorporate any “Chris-makuah” decorations/traditions?
A: No, it is all Chanukah. My Mom wouldn’t even let us have a “Chanukah-bush.” No, lights, no nothing.
Q: Are you looking forward to the sufganiyot?
A: And my other grandfather, my Mom’s Dad, passed away but had a very special latke recipe he would make every year, and we all look forward to it.
Q: You are going to have to share that recipe with us!
A: I will have to get that from my mom!
Q: What makes it different than the typical fried potatoes?
A: It has onions and carrots and other things.
Q: I add carrots, onions, potatoes and zucchinis so I like to break away from the old as well. I am not much of a sufganiyot fan.
A: Oh, I love all donuts!
Q: Shabbat Shalom, Shavua Tov and Chag Chanukah Sameach!
A: Thank you so much and we will talk soon!
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Click here to learn more about the All-Girls STEM Society and about upcoming events.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.
Nice article Cailin. I know Sarah but was unaware of the “All Girls Stem Community.”
Yes! My twins have attended for years and the director would let Alex attend since he is CeCe’s twin and they can’t deny anyone who might identify as a girl. I didn’t sign him up this time but it is usually an afternoon once a month at the public libraries and a good 3-4 hour session. Parents are asked to drop off and pick up. It is not a parent and child event. It is a really cool program.
Good work on the article. I enjoyed reading her inspiring talk to the girls and the Q and A.