Three Village Schools: Stony Brook School senior Margaret DiRuggiero recently participated in the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) STEM Day, which took place at the CIA headquarters. The NSHSS is a program clings to the mission of the Nobel Prize, and supports high school students as they prepare to become the leaders of their generation by connecting them with scholarships, leadership opportunities, and more. Out hundreds of applicants, Margaret was one of only 30 students in the country selected to participate in the program's STEM Day.

Throughout the day, students met with STEM professionals in the CIA, had the opportunity to network with current CIA interns, and participated in some hands-on experience in STEM labs. Students worked on programming apparatuses such as LCD screens, fingerprint scanners, and a computerized voice to greet someone as they were scanned in by the aforementioned technology. Margaret has been interested in the field of STEM for most of her remembered life, and is fascinated with its endless possibilities. She also writes for and runs an online, peer reviewed scientific journal called "Emerging Female Scientists", and had the opportunity to share some of her findings withher peers, the chaperoning faculty, and members of the NHSS.

"The percentage of girls dropping out of math and science is huge," said Margaret. "There are a lot of factors—lack of female mentors, feeling outnumbered, not feeling smart enough; the list goes on. Part of the motivation behind creating this journal is to show other high school girls that they are capable of continuing on in the STEM field—that they are capable of being just as successful as men." Margaret will have the opportunity later this month to take over the NSHSS' Instagram account, and will be documenting a day in the life of a Stony Brook School student. Additionally, another edition of her journal will be published in the late fall.