SOUTH OGDEN -- Emma Harding is glad girls no longer have to hold down the stereotypical jobs to which women used to be limited.
"We can do pretty much anything we want," said the 12-year-old Venture Academy student. "I'm glad I can branch out and do different things."
Emma was one of more than 500 girls attending the 11th annual Expanding Your Horizons Conference at South Ogden Junior High School on Saturday. The conference, sponsored by ATK Aerospace Systems, gives girls a firsthand look at different careers available to them in science and math.
During the daylong conference, the girls learned about veterinary medicine, engineering, chemistry, space, weather and robotics. They even got to make their own lotion, rockets and greeting cards out of garbage, slime and glue.
"I like this conference because it's been really interactive," Emma said. "I get to make things, experiment with them and then fix it myself."
Brianna Palmer, a student at St. Joseph Elementary School, said she enjoyed giving a dog a health exam.
"That was a lot of fun," she said. "It's neat to see what options are out there to help us to plan our future."
Kathy Philpot, ATK propulsion systems director of process engineering and the EYH conference chairman, said it's important for girls to attend such conferences because they can interact with women who have careers in technical fields and realize their own potential.
"We hope this conference will inspire them so they will not only attend college, but also become our future scientists and doctors," she said.
Sarah Hiza, director of research operations for ATK, said she went into her chosen field because she has always been a curious person who likes mixing chemicals together to see what happens.
"I like fire and smoke," she said. "I'm also very inspired by space and dream one day of becoming an astronaut."
Hiza, who was teaching the Grimy Slime and Oozing Goo class, said she hoped the girls would realize how much fun math and science can be.
"There's a lot of hands-on in these fields," she said. "A lot of women out there have already done this and have paved the road for them, so they're really lucky to have this opportunity."
Ann Zocchi, a program proposal and pricer analyst at ATK, taught the girls how to make their own lotion. Not only did they get to make it, but they also got to take home their concoction.
"I never thought at your age I would be doing this, but I'm so glad I did," she said. "I went to school for five straight years and got my bachelor's and master's degrees. I really love what I do."
Tabitha Howard, a mental health nurse, told the girls she works with medications and chemicals as part of her job.
"There's a lot of both science and math to my job, and it is very fun and very interesting," she said.
Alexis Carlsen, a ninth-grader at Fairfield Junior High School, said she has been interested in science and engineering since she was 4.
"The rocket science workshops are my favorite," she said. "My dream job is to work at ATK."
Expanding Your Horizons Network is a national organization dedicated to sparking an interest in young women to pursue careers in math and science.
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