About Us
Girl STEMpowerment consists of a group of dedicated high school students who are passionate about making positive change. Within our group, everyone has a significant role in how we function and the work we produce. Read through this page to meet our Directors and learn more about some of the leaders of tomorrow!

Ann Sobrato Officers

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​FRANCESCA KUBICA : President
Francesca Kubica, the President of GirlSTEMpowerment, is currently a senior attending Ann Sobrato High School and has been apart of GSSC for three years. She’s passionate and driven about her goals. As President this year, she’s adamant about keeping motivation levels high and member participation consistent. She is a helping hand to both her officers and members and is willing to dedicate her time to cooperative workshops but also the well-being of her members. She will be pursuing a degree underneath the business umbrella, containing finance and implications of technology, as she thoroughly enjoys her mathematics classes and decoding the stock market. Her favorite subject is mathematics, she enjoys the challenge in her Calculus BC class and enjoys fighting with the problems. Francesca also partakes in coding and painting in her free time which serve as an outlet for her creativity. In terms of GSSC, she will continue to encourage younger generations to pursue any STEM-career they desire, because she knows lack-of confidence is what keeps people from fulfilling their dream.
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IRIS CHIANG: Vice President
 Iris Chiang is currently a senior at Ann Sobrato High School and she is beyond excited to serve as the Vice President for ASHS Girl STEMpowerment! She hopes to continue creating fun workshops for her last year at GSSC. She hopes to pursue a career as a psychiatrist and plans on studying behavioral neuroscience in college. Her favorite class right now is AP Literature but she also enjoys AP Biology a lot! In her free time, she enjoys reading, working out, and listening to new artists. Through GSSC, she hopes to encourage young girls to pursue whatever they want, STEM or not, without any barriers due to gender, race, or identity.
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EMMA NGUYEN: Secretary
Emma Nguyen is currently a junior at Ann Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill, California. This is her second year serving as Santa Clara GirlSTEMpowerment’s secretary and is ecstatic to provide a positive contribution to the team as a returning general member. Emma is eager to do her part in maintaining order and organization in GSSC, believing that in doing so, she will be able to implement a safe and welcoming environment for both GirlSTEMpowerment and her community! Emma is passionate, attentive, and devoted to spending her time helping those in need, both in and outside of GSSC. She believes that anyone can pursue a positive future regardless of personal aspirations, STEM related or not, and hopes to encourage those who are lost and disheartened. Emma is an avid member of Sobrato’s Peer Counseling and Key Clubs, also serving as secretary for Save the Children. Her favorite classes are Psychology and English Language, and she hopes to pursue a career in Computer Science in the future. Emma hopes to use her role in GSSC to inspire all students, especially young women, to strive for their future, careers, and goals, both big and small.
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​​MELINA KWARCINSKI: Publicity Chair
Melina Kwarcinski is a junior at Ann Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill, California. This is her first year as GSSC’s Publicity Chair and is stoked to get involved with the team! She is excited to participate in various STEM workshops, learn more about handling finances and help younger students feel excited about learning! Melina is diligent, organized, family-oriented and loves staying active through participating in athletics and going to the gym. She has taken two computer science courses and is currently enrolled in the most advanced computer science class offered at school. She is one of few girls in her CS classes and believes that kids, especially girls, should feel empowered to pursue any field they choose. Outside of GSSC, Melina is a life-long athlete who plays water polo for Sobrato’s team and is a swimmer. She hopes to study computer science in college and build a career out of being a software engineer. Melina hopes to contribute to creating an exciting environment for anyone to expand their knowledge and encourage younger students to work hard toward their goals! 
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LEXXA D'AMICO:
Graphics Coordinator
Lexxa D’Amico is a senior at Ann Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill, California. This is her third year in Girl STEMpowerment as the graphic coordinator and designer! She couldn’t be more excited to work with Girl STEMpowerment again! Lexxa is outgoing, sociable, and dedicated to helping others within the community, whether that be for GSSC or outside of it. She also spends her time participating in Sobrato’s associated student body as ASB President, a position she holds in which she believes that everyone deserves to feel welcome and have a voice on campus. She is also a member of the Bring Change 2 Mind Club whose goal is to create a safe space for students on campus and discuss the importance of mental health to end the stigma around it.  Lexxa’s favorite school subject is science, and in the future she hopes to study forensic science or psychology. Lexxa hopes to use her role to better the community and accomplish Girl STEMpowerment’s mission: to help young girls, or anyone for that matter, believe they can achieve whatever they put their mind to. ​

General Members

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ALANA YAMAT: General Member
​Alana Yamat is currently a sophomore at Ann Sobrato High School and she is happy to have joined the ASHS Girls STEMpowerment club this year! She joined GSSC after being inspired by her cousin, a civil engineer, doing work to promote girls in STEM and has never regretted the decision. Alana hopes to pursue a career and further study in the area of the human sciences. Alana is also interested in biology, psychology, and geography, with her favorite classes reflecting that. This year, her favorite classes include AP Human Geography and AP World History. Alana hopes to encourage other young girls to take an interest in the STEM fields, and remove the negative connotations associated with them during her time in GSSC.
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HELEN PAK: General Member
Helen Pak is a senior at Ann Sobrato High School and she is very excited to be a contributing member for her third year with Girl STEMpowerment Santa Clara! Helen is a service oriented individual and an ardent believer in social justice. Apart from Girl STEMpowerment, Helen participates in many service activities, as well as a program that focuses on friendship building with neurodivergent youth in the heart of the Korean Bay Area community. Helen also serves as the Co-President of Peer Counseling, a club at Ann Sobrato that allows high schoolers to teach and spread awareness about mental health to elementary school students. Helen’s favorite classes are Physics and Spanish. In her free time, she can be seen eating carbonara fire noodles and watching video analysis essays about various movies and jellyfish with her cat Haru. Helen is beyond grateful for this opportunity given to her, and she looks forward to implementing her abilities and values into fostering a supportive and welcoming community for women pursuing STEM.
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VAISHNAVI MURALIDHARAN: General Member
Vaishnavi Muralidharan is currently a senior at Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy (GECA). This is her third year being apart of GSSC, and she is so beyond excited for what the next fiscal year has in store for her. She looks forward to empowering students in grades 3-8 in different aspects of STEM. Along with GSSC, she is also involved with the Youth Action Council of Morgan Hill, Circle of Giving, as well as a couple extra activities. Her educational aspirations consist of pursuing a career in the medical field. To work toward this goal, she has participated in a number of workshops and programs that will provide experience and a greater understanding of this field. Vaishnavi also likes to cook, draw, paint, and dance. She is extremely passionate about establishing a positive and safe environment for all, and will continue to work hard in order to do so!
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BRIANNA VILLARREAL: General Member
Brianna Villarreal is currently a senior at Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy (GECA). This is her first year at GSSC and is interested in math and biology so she cannot wait to experience this program for the first time. She looks forward to getting to know the members and working with younger kids since she has experience in coding with them. She has taken part in the GetSET SWE program which is a STEM program that encourages girls to join the STEM field. By teaching elementary kids how to code and learning more about STEM through the GetSET SWE program, Brianna is excited to share her knowledge and learn more about STEM by joining the GSSC team. Becoming a dentist had been a goal since she was in first grade and in her free time she enjoys spending time with family and dancing.
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MARIA JARAMILLO: General Member
Maria Jaramillo is currently a senior at Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy. This will be her first year as a GSSC member and she’s eager to work with her team members in empowering young students in STEM. She is part of her school's Interact club where she helps local and international organizations. She hopes to become a travel nurse and help patients from different regions. She spends her free time baking and occasionally reading. Maria hopes to make an impact on students and encourage them to pursue what they are interested in. She wants to show students that they can achieve their goals in life even if they don't feel like they can at the moment. ​
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MARISSA ORTIZ: General Member
Marissa Ortiz is a senior at Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy (GECA) in Gilroy, California. This will be her first year as a general member with Girl STEMpowerment, and she is excited about being able to empower the local youth to explore the countless opportunities within STEM. Marissa is a fun, outgoing person who is dedicated to helping the community all while being able to learn more about the world of STEM within itself! Marissa serves as the Spirit Commissioner within her school’s ASB and outside of school, Marissa loves to volunteer her time with her local cheerleading organization. She loves to spread positivity amongst the young girls in her community and while also being able to fulfill her love for cheerleading! Marissa’s favorite subjects in school are math and science, and she hopes to go to medical school to be a surgeon. She hopes to inspire others to take advantage of the opportunities within the world of science and math, and she cannot wait to see what the future in STEM holds for her. She is a proud member of Girl STEMpowerment!
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SANYA CHHIBBER: General Member
Sanya Chhibber is a senior at Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy (GECA) and this is her 2nd year with Girl STEMpowerment. She is excited to help promote Stem to various age groups and encourage others to pursue more insight within these various fields. Sanya’s favorite subjects are usually the science and math classes. She is also a GECA tutor and helps her fellow peers daily with their curriculum. She is also part of her school’s Interact club, which allows for her to give back to her community in various ways. Sanya is diligent, persistent, and amiable. As of now she is interested in the social science or law side of education and enjoys taking classes concerning those subjects. She aims to be able to help people in her future and bring about a betterment to society. She is happy to be a part of this organization looking to foster a better environment to encourage girls interested in STEM. 
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DANA GAMPON: General Member
Dana Gampon is currently a senior at Ann Sobrato High School. This is her second year in GSSC, and is so excited to continue her journey through STEM. She looks forward to getting back out into the world and doing more hands-on activities with students and her fellow team members. Along with GSSC, she is also treasurer of Freedge through Sobrato High, where she hopes to help reduce hunger throughout Morgan hill through community refrigerators. Dana also enjoys learning about the different topics of social science and hopes to pursue a career in the medical field as a labor and delivery nurse. By being part of this team Dana hopes to help be a part of this growing community and to help young girls believe they can achieve whatever they put their mind to. Fun Fact: She LOVES reading! Her favorite genre to read are young adult romance books.