Lauren Whitney reflects on her career in STEM, gears up for Girls and Science kickoff
CBS News Colorado First Alert Meteorologist Lauren Whitney is not only the face of Girls & Science but also a passionate wife, mom and role model.
"Time is flying! I've been here at the station, this year will be 11 years," she said.
Whitney gave CBS News Colorado a behind-the-scenes peek at her daily work routine and recounted how perseverance got her to where she is now.
"I started off in Grand Junction. I was an anchor and did the weather. They said, 'We need someone to do the weather.' And I said 'well, I can figure that out.' And thankfully, it wasn't the most active part of the state, so it was a good learning area. I came back here and got my meteorology degree while working on the morning show, so it was a couple of long years in there and that's my education journey to getting my meteorology degree," she said.
Whitney says her career in STEM, especially here in Colorado, keeps her on her toes: "There is a structure to the day. We know we go on air at 4, 5, 6 and 10 p.m., so there's a deadline. That part is very much the same every day, but then I get to talk about something different every day."
Her biggest advice to young girls is that it's OK to ask for help along the way: "It can be hard to ask for help or maybe admit that you're struggling. There were some struggling times in there. I had to go to my boss and ask for time because I had to get my homework done and I had some pretty big projects in there."
Connecting with girls interested in pursuing STEM careers is exactly why she launched Girls and Science: "It's so fun... They ask such great questions, little girls to teenagers and the wide array of questions getting to connect is so incredible. I can't wait to take my daughter someday!"
She encouraged, "I think anyone who's interested in science, math, technology - be super curious. It's amazing what's at your fingertips these days so if you're interested in something, get online or find someone that you can connect with."
Meet all the STEM mentors, including Whitney, at the free Girls and Science Kick-Off on Friday, March 3 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.
