A future innovator has made east Logan proud being one of 60 high schoolers proving “girls do belong in STEM”.
Agnes Ramadhan is a year 10 student at Mabel Park State High School who has a passion for science, technology, engineering and maths – known as STEM.
The local teenager was recently chosen and attended the STEM Girl Power Camp organised by the Department of Education.
The event saw students and teachers travel from all over Queensland to represent their school in Brisbane, where they participated in a variety of events, STEM workshops, and networking opportunities with experts from STEM fields.
The camp’s purpose was to boost female participation in the industry by showcasing a diversity of careers and pathways, study opportunities, and sessions with female role models.
The goal was to ensure students like Agnes, who is part of her school’s girl’s maths and science excellence program, have all the access and encouragement they need to pursue a career in the field.
“I enjoy STEM because it fuels my curiosity by giving me reason to ask questions and the tools to discover the answers,” she said.
“My passion for science and the application of maths (even though I’m not very good at
maths) to understand how things work has deepened my interest in physics and engineering.
“Through understanding the language of the universe (STEM), I hope that I can one day shape the future even beyond Earth.”
Mabel Park’s acting head of maths and science, Rajwinder Sarowa, said she had witnessed firsthand “how powerful it is when girls realise they do belong in STEM”.
“Not just as participants, but as leaders and innovators,” she said.
“While under-representation stems from long-standing stereotypes and systemic barriers, programs like this camp are rewriting the narrative by building confidence, visibility, and a
strong sense of belonging.
“It’s about seeing yourself in the story and knowing you’re not alone on the journey.”
Agnes isn’t the only girl at Mabel Park with a passion for the rational.
Last month, dozens of students from across the high school took part in a hands-on workshop with Origin Energy.
The students asked questions and learned insights from Origin volunteers, as well as wider career advice about securing employment after leaving school.
Agnes was, of course, at the excursion, which she said was “fun and engaging” – particularly using different types of electronics.
“The thing I like most about science is the learning part, because there’s always an endless amount of things to learn and I love learning about how things work,” she said.
“It’s important to help other students in other countries to give them the same opportunities that we’re privileged to have in Australia.
“All the girls were talking about how they really enjoyed it. I did not know that this many STEM careers could come from the energy field.”
