Carolyn and I met through Arden Hot Yoga. She and her husband practice there and I remember thinking the first time I saw them together, "Damn they're a handsome couple!" Seriously though. When they decide to have babies they're gonna be so beautiful.

Carolyn is amazing. She's adventurous, outdoorsy, brilliant, in the STEM field, and is blazing trails for other young girls and women to do the same. Read on to learn more from this incredible woman.

What is a recent book or article that you’ve read that has challenged your thinking, inspired you, or changed you?

It’s probably my Meditations from the Mat book. Every day it takes you through different elements of the path of yoga. Some days I am able to take 5-10 minutes on my mat to clear my head. I’m thankful to start my day off with these passages. Recently I read something from Rumi, “Let the beauty we love be what we do.” I work in a very male-dominated field, and I think because of that I’ve tried to act a certain way and behave a different way, which wasn’t reflective of who I was. I remember thinking, “well he wouldn’t do it like that.” I’m beginning to realize that I need infuse who I am in what I do, and then I think what I do will become what I love.

Who is an influencer in your life?

Even though I think my mom is kind of crazy and maybe unstable or irrational, she has always pushed me to be independent and to stick with school and my passions. She’s always been my cheerleader and taught me that I need to be able to make my own money and provide for myself. That idea really shaped me-that I shouldn’t depend on anyone else to take care of me financially.

As much as my mom drives me nuts, she’s been influential in my life in a big way that I hadn’t really recognized until recently.

What does feminism mean to you?

Feminism is acknowledging and embracing who I am, who we are as women, and embracing the feminine parts of us and supporting one another in overcoming challenge and adversity. I think a big misconception of feminism is that it has a negative connotation. But feminism is really just about supporting one another. Like what you’re doing with I’ve Got Your Back, I think it’s a way for women to show each other support, because we don’t do that enough.

Do you have a favorite quote or mantra that you try to live your life by?

The current quote that’s attached to all of my work emails is, “The people that dare to change the world are the ones that do.” When I first read it, it reminded me that we can sit around and wait for ideas to happen, or you can make it happen yourself.

What are you most passionate about?

It’s almost like there’s an outward passion and an inward passion. The outward passion is about supporting girls in starting careers in the STEM field. In my field I’ve had my own set of challenges as the only woman on a team of men. I’ve help myself back in my career because I told myself, “I don’t look like [a man], I don’t act like them, there’s no way I could ever be a V.P of anything or a manager or in sales…” But it was because I never had examples of women in those roles. I want to show girls there are other paths and they have the potential to do anything within their careers.

Inwardly, I’m passionate about balance, especially with the health issues I’ve had. This desire to be in balance is why I practice yoga, it’s why I read my mediation book. I’ve learned to manage my time more effectively.

How will you help influence young girls and encourage them in their interests in STEM?

Right now I’ve been working with girls in a STEM program at Pleasant Grove High School. It feels good because they’re happy to have me there. So I’m excited to build that.

I’ve also spoken at events, like UC Merced for Latina engineering students. That one in particular got me so hyped up with their engagement, the questions they were asking, and my own stories and experiences I’ve had that I got to share with them. I think that’s where my passion to work with young women really started.

Finish this sentence: I am _______________.

I am excited.

Carolyn’s got your back.

xxo