The PROPEL Center at Colorado State University-Pueblo held the third annual Women in STEM Panel March 29, one of the final days of Women’s History Month.

The panel focused on the challenges and opportunities for women in STEM, which is an education program that aids science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors.

The event was sponsored by the math department at CSU-Pueblo, hosted by Abby Davidson and featured a few panelists. Drinks and pizza were provided for students. About 20 students were present at the panel.

Davidson said she would like to expand the panel to all women on campus, not just female STEM students. During the event, a few successful panelists shared their challenges and also gave advice to other students present.

“When I was interviewed for the Ph.D. degree, the professor said ‘You should open a Mexican restaurant here and then your family can get a better life in America,’” panelist Margarita Saenz said.

Saenz said it frustrated her but she continued to follow her goals of finishing her Ph.D. Saenz is currently a geneticist at the Children’s Hospital located in Aurora, Colorado.

Panelist Charity Kechum said that when she found a job, a co-worker always told her that females were not able to do as well as males but she didn’t give up. She currently accomplished her career goal and works at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo as a principal investigator.

Donglian Lu, a male engineering student, attended the panel out of curiosity. Lu said that he was not aware of the struggles that women faced but after attending the panel, he said that women should always stick to what they believe in and just go for it.

“You will be successful in the future,” Lu said.