On March 1, 2025, Texas Girls in STEM Day, Dallas SWE proudly hosted its annual Design Your World STEM Conference, an event dedicated to engaging, educating, and empowering young students in STEM. This year, we were thrilled to partner with Collin College, providing students and parents with an immersive hands-on engineering experience, a guided tour of Collin College’s state-of-the-art facilities, and a college preparation panel to help families navigate educational and career pathways.
As a special treat, during lunch, three 9th-grade students—Samanvi, Sindhura, and Sumadhura—from Panther Creek High School presented their innovative project on a digital mentorship platform, showcasing the power of young minds in STEM and their ability to drive meaningful change. The digital platform MKonnect, which can seamlessly connect mentors with mentees worldwide, can be deployed to organizations like Global Jump Start, a non-profit organization.
Since its inception, Design Your World has been a flagship STEM outreach event in North Texas, introducing middle and high school students to the exciting possibilities within science, technology, engineering, and math. This year’s conference was a huge success, thanks to our dedicated volunteers, incredible partners, and enthusiastic students, all working together to create an unforgettable learning experience.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Partners
Dallas SWE extends our deepest gratitude to Collin College for their unwavering support in hosting this year’s conference. Special thanks to Tripat Baweja, Smriti Singh, Dawn Jo-Ellen Richardson, and Ariana Herrman, whose expertise, collaboration, and generosity allowed us to create an engaging and impactful event. Their commitment to STEM education and mentorship played a key role in ensuring that students walked away excited, informed, and inspired about future career opportunities in STEM.
We would also like to send a special thank you to Qorvo, whose team led an interactive electrical engineering activity, where students had the opportunity to build and test their own radio signals—and even play their favorite music! This experience brought engineering concepts to life in a creative and tangible way, showcasing the magic of problem-solving, innovation, and real-world applications of STEM.
We truly appreciate the time, effort, and expertise of Kurt Cimino, Anita Luo, Tamara Bassam, Disha Patel, Marvin Harris, Dzianis Babko, and Spencer Gregory, whose guidance helped students explore electrical engineering in a fun and engaging way.
A Day of Exploration and Learning
This year, over 30 middle school students participated in the conference, engaging in three hands-on STEM activities led by industry professionals, university students, and Dallas SWE volunteers. The event was made possible by over 40 dedicated volunteers, all passionate about mentoring and inspiring the next generation of engineers.
Students had the opportunity to explore various STEM fields, including:
✅ Mechanical Engineering – Led by UNT SWE, students worked on a helicopter design challenge, learning about forces, aerodynamics, and engineering design principles.
✅ Electrical Engineering – Guided by Qorvo engineers, students designed and tested their own radio signals, understanding the fundamentals of wave frequencies and communication technology.
✅ Biomedical Engineering – Facilitated by Dallas SWE volunteers, students explored medical device innovation, learning how engineering principles can be applied to designing and building a flotation device.
Throughout the day, students not only participated in these exciting activities but also had the chance to tour the Collin College campus, gaining exposure to STEM education pathways, college resources, and career opportunities in engineering and technology.
Supporting Parents in STEM Education
In addition to student activities, Collin College hosted a parent panel, equipping families with valuable insights on college preparation, scholarships, and career development in STEM. This session provided parents and guardians with the tools and resources they need to support their children’s educational journeys and career aspirations.
By engaging both students and their families, Design Your World 2025 created a holistic approach to STEM education, ensuring that students feel supported and encouraged as they explore engineering and technology careers.
Recognizing Our Incredible Volunteers
A huge thank you to our event organizers, mentors, and facilitators who made this event possible. Special recognition goes to: Katia Gomez, Cyonna Holmes, Ana Gonzalez, Lyndsey Bouve, Chenai Sukume and Robyn Broniewski.
Your leadership, dedication, and passion for STEM education and outreach have made a lasting impact on these students, giving them the confidence and inspiration to pursue careers in science and engineering. We couldn’t have done it without you!
A special thank you to Charles Claudet for his creativity and generosity in designing our 2025 event T-shirt.
A Successful Event Made Possible by Our Sponsors
We would also like to thank our incredible sponsors, whose generosity and commitment to STEM outreach continue to drive the success of Design Your World.
🎉 Qorvo, Collins Aerospace, PepsiCo, HEB, Analog Devices, Raytheon, Toyota, Walter P. Moore, and Dave & Lynn Mortenson 🎉
Your support ensures that students from diverse backgrounds have access to hands-on STEM learning opportunities, sparking curiosity and shaping the future of innovation.
Looking Ahead – Join Us in Supporting STEM Education!
Design Your World 2025 was an incredible success, but our mission to empower the next generation of engineers doesn’t stop here! If you or your organization would like to:
✅ Sponsor future Design Your World events
✅ Volunteer as a mentor, activity leader, or speaker
✅ Partner with Dallas SWE on STEM outreach initiatives
We’d love to connect with you! Please reach out to us at dallas.swe@gmail.com to get involved.
Together, we can continue inspiring young minds, breaking barriers, and building a future where more students—especially young women—see themselves as engineers, innovators, and leaders in STEM.
Thank you to everyone who made Design Your World 2025 a success! We look forward to seeing you at future events! 🚀🔬⚙️
