Intern Feature: Mia Cresti

Mia Cresti, High School Senior

As a second feature to our Intern Feature Series, Girls Code the World is excited to put the spotlight on Mia Cresti, an intern from the very high school that co-founders Sydney and Mina attended. At The Pennington School in New Jersey, Mia plays varsity soccer in the fall, varsity basketball in the winter, and varsity lacrosse in the spring. She is also a member of the Applied Science Certificate Program and is in the Community Service club, Girls in STEM club, STEM Leaders club, Malawi Math Tutoring club, and a Campus Guide! Mia was also a Junior Proctor last year and is a Peer Leader this year, where she participates in a lot of different mentorship activities.

Mia was referred to Girls Code the World initially by the Director of the Applied Science Program at Pennington because of Mia’s interest in bringing STEM to communities who don’t have the same opportunities that she had growing up, such as engineering summer camps and role models that came from a similar background that she did.

“I wanted to be a part of Girls Code the World ever since I heard about their mission statement. I had a desire to help people less privileged than I find an interest in something I’m so passionate about…I think GCTW is important because it allows you to see how great of an impact you can leave on your community. It’s also so important because it teaches the girls that anything is possible and to set ambitious goals for themselves. It ignites a passion for learning.”

~ Mia about why she joined Girls Code the World

Mia as a Program Leader at The Pennington School

Mia was a star intern this past summer, being one of the students who spearheaded a program at The Pennington School for students from the Christina Seix Academy in Trenton. Girls Code the World has been a partner with CSA for many years, and Mia was able to strengthen that relationship even further by being a confident, empowering, and beyond intelligent program leader for the girls. Mia remarks: “My favorite part of GCTW is getting to know the girls. It truly was pleasure getting to know each and every one of them this summer and not only seeing how smart they all were, but also how much personality they all had.”

Being a program leader is not just any ordinary job. It requires interactions with adults, peers your own age, and young girls. This means that program leaders must be flexible and adaptable which is exactly what Mia was this summer for her students. After the program, Mia talked about her biggest takeaways from the program: “I definitely learned a lot, one being patience. Having always being on the other side of the desk, it was interesting to see what it was like being a teacher. I gained a greater appreciation for all the teachers I’ve had.” Our organization has been gathering remarks from interns after they run programs, and one of the most common themes is a greater appreciation for educators and empowerment through education.

Mia had her own role models growing up who taught her to love science, love education, and love being a woman in STEM. And these women have helped her dream big about her future. As a high school student, Mia has a lot of dream jobs including but not limited to a Dermatologist, a Surgeon, an Engineer, a Lawyer, a CSI, a Detective, etc, but she planning on majoring in Biology in college with a minor in Ethics or Philosophy.

“My sister Julianna has always been a role model for me. She has always been so smart and has dared to be different, pushing through the obstacle that women are minorities in STEM. Growing up, dinner conversations sparked my curiosity, my siblings and I always wanted to know why things work the way they do, and science provided some of our answers, which is why we all want to pursue a career in some kind of science. My sister is working on her PhD in Molecular Biology.”

~ Mia about the women in her life who have inspired her to love STEM

We are so thankful for Mia’s continued love and appreciation for Girls Code the World. She has remained an important figure in our programming, education, and mentorship efforts, and we are so excited to see what she does beyond high school.