OUR STORY
Where did all the girls go?
Let the numbers tell it.
UCLA’s Fall 2005 class profile data:
24,774 freshmen enrolled
40% were female
15% were Hispanic
3% majored in math
Run the numbers and 44.6 pops up.
We’ll round up to 45.
Out of 24,774 freshmen, there were only 45 Hispanic female math majors.
In a room of 500 random freshmen, you would maybe run into one.
If we change that 15% Hispanic to 3% Black, we’re looking at a total of 9.
Out of all the black girls in the entire world, only 9 enrolled at UCLA as math majors in 2005.
That’s a problem I feel is worth working on. I truly believe girls can do math too.
Going back to June 2018 when I got my student’s scores back. My 8th graders did great. Our pass rate stood out. My boys had the top scores in the district. I’m extremely proud of how hard they worked. They earned their shine.
What surprised many was that even though boys had the very top scores, a majority of my students who met and exceeded standards were girls. In my 8 years, this was a first for me and something that typically doesn’t happen.
But why not? Why doesn’t it? How early in life do girls start performing lower than boys in math? Is that a reality by 8th grade? Girls can do math too, right?
That summer, I taught a 9th grade bridge program. Some of my top students attended. They became friends with top students from the other middle schools. On the last day, I encouraged them to start a club and they liked the idea.
I suggested a name like Young Mathematicians of America. Something that would look good on college apps. They shot that down and came up with Cutie Pis of D-High. Much better. Within a minute, they wanted hoodies lol
I messaged Jade, my good friend, and one of the 45 Hispanic female math majors from our class and shared the idea of a club that focuses on supporting and encouraging girls in the area of math. We talked about the importance of community, especially for girls of color. Creating the club quickly felt like a responsibility to the students I serve.
Community, role-models, and mentorship. That’s what they need.
Jade was willing to help. For the past 4 years, she’s covered first-day-of-school notebooks and folders for all of my students. This is more personal though cause Jade is a product of those numbers. She lived that.
In classrooms full of 50+ students, she was almost always the only Latina. She often felt out of place and intimidated, hesitant to ask for help cause she always had to prove she belonged. Even after graduating, she faced similiar challenges again and again in job recruiting, business school classes, and industry networking events.
Of the 45 Hispanic girls who entered as a math major, 28 graduated as one. As for the 9 Black girls, only 6 finished.
I can’t do much about that data. I will do my part to help this current group build a community, connect with role-models, and have mentors.
The club meets once a month. They do no math during the meetings. They come to hangout, eat, and talk with whichever one of my friends shows up, a mentor who was once in their shoes, excelling at math and the sciences, and has experienced success in their field. The girls leave full and encouraged.
With the support of Ms. Angela, the Cutie Pis became recognized as an official club on campus and we now have a classroom to use for our meetings.
I appreciate those who see the work I do and who reach out to me. My work has always been a collective effort. For this club to see its full potential, we need your help.
If you would like to cover the cost of their food during one of the meetings or help fund one of the many activities we plan to do throughout the year, please donate.
If you are a woman of color currently working in a math or science-related field, and are interested in coming to a meeting to talk with them, answer questions, and share your experiences, please message me. You will have more impact on them than anything I can offer. They want to become pediatricians, mechanical engineers, cardiac surgeons, accountants, nurses, etc. They need to see more of you and more of themselves.
Lastly, anyone who wants to learn more about gender disparity and some of the experiences your friends, sisters, cousins, nieces, and future daughters will face, you’re welcome to follow and support our club as well.
Thank you, Alex, for making the first donation for their hoodies. Thank you, Jade, for covering their food for the first few meetings and being their first speaker and mentor.
Contact me if you would like to contribute. Appreciate yall 🙏🏾
Brandon Contreras
Cutie Pis Advisor
Compton Unified 2018 District Teacher of the Year