TECH TREK SAN DIEGO 2023

Fallbrook Branch campers present to membership about their Tech Trek experience.

TECH TREK 2023 STAFF REPORT

I enjoyed my 11th year volunteering as Dorm Monitor at Tech Trek San Diego (UCSD). We had a good camp with many pivots to stay on track. It was wonderful to see many AAUW friends as our last San Diego in-person camp was in 2019. I am now officially trained to drive the electric carts and had fun driving staff and campers all over UCSD.

Our 5 Fallbrook Branch campers each attended a week long 15 hour core class in either: Engineering, Robotics, Physics, Anatomy or Forensics. I was assigned to Engineering at the new Design and Innovation Building, adjacent to the new public transit station where the Coaster Train and Blue Line Trolley stop.

Each girl went on field trips to ViaSat, a satellite company in Carlsbad and to General Atomics Dlll-D National Fusion Facility where we saw a Tokamak. During the afternoons, each girl attended 6 workshops that included Robotics, Engineering, Chemistry and Physics. Evenings were busy with 4 seminars including “Raise Your Hands, Raise Your Voices” by Dr.“Mimi” Mary Isaac.

Our fabulous dorms were located on the brand new 6th College campus with our cafeteria on Muir College. Each girl is encouraged to sign up for the virtual Tech Trek Alumnae Community to stay connected with friends and participate in an engaging STEM community through school and college, including opportunities to volunteer for California Tech Trek.

To fulfill Fallbrook Branch adult staff requirement, I volunteered as Dorm Monitor (official name rather than “Dorm Mom”.) Duties of Dorm Monitors are monitoring the safety, timeliness and health of campers (campers selected to attend Tech Trek are expected to be self-monitoring in all these regards.)

Please ask me about volunteering at Tech Trek as ADULT STAFF IS NEEDED to help us maintain a required adult to minor ratio. We need AAUW Members to volunteer as Dorm Monitors, Students (age 18 or above) to volunteer as Senior Counselors/age 21 Dorm Monitors.

Susan Duling

2023 Fallbrook Tech Trek Campers

Sharon Robinson, Tech Trek Branch Coordinator  for Tech Trek Camp, UCSD June 25-30, 2023. For more information contact Sharon at sharonrobinsongroup@gmail.com

2019

In June, Judy Egan and I spent another wonderful week at Tech Trek UCSD. There are many new and exciting classes, workshops, and staff at Tech Trek UCSD. Our new Engineering core class is led by Morgan Funderburk, a UCSD PhD engineering student. Our new Math core class teacher Maria Catalina is a NASA astronaut with many flight missions. Our new Bridges workshop was led by Karibia Baillergeon and her team of women bridge engineers. Tech Trek UCSD really illuminates the “T” and “E” in STEM!

Emphasizing the far-reaching influence and effect of Tech Trek on young women, Tech Trek UCSD has nine adult former campers in staff and leadership positions. Saira Bolanos and Stephanie Tran are both Camp Director Interns for UCSD and workshop teachers of College Prep. Jasmin Mendoza and Amanda Nguyen are Co-Camp Directors at Tech Trek UC Irvine and they staffed IT/Photo at UCSD.

If Fallbrook AAUW members want to meet these young California AAUW members and see the exciting future of California AAUW there are many ways to volunteer at Tech Trek UCSD.

Due to staffing safety parameters, we need members to volunteer to be Classroom monitors while dorm mom staff are in  meetings. Classroom monitors are assigned to core class in the morning and stay for lunch. You may volunteer for one day or more during the weekdays. On Sunday, we need help with Check-In and on Saturday we need help with Check-Out. On these days you can enjoy Opening and Closing Ceremonies. In addition, you may come as a visitor on an assigned day (usually midweek) and tour the various core classes. Due to safety measures, AAUW visitors and volunteers are only allowed on the assigned day and must pre-register with Camp Director.

Information for volunteering at Tech Trek UCSD is on the webpage: techtrek-sandiego.aauw.net and please ask Judy and me for more information.

~Susan Duling

What I most love about Tech Trek is the camaraderie that seems instant within the groups of girls. I have volunteered the past four years as a Dorm mom and it never ceases to amaze me how close the girls get by dinner on the very first night! Each year I get to know another set of amazing young ladies and it is an honor and a privilege to spend the week with them. As a communication major, I know the importance of talking and listening! I was excited, and nervous, when Toni Lopez, the director, took me up on my offer to teach a stress management class at the camp. This summer marked the second round of Stress Management classes, which incorporates talking about what is causing stress in the girls’ lives, listening as a group to what is being shared and noticing the many similarities in our lives. We discuss how these issues affect our daily lives and health, and how to use the breath, breath and thought mindfulness, yoga and practices like gratitude to help us cope and thrive!

~Judy Egan