ORIGIN STORY of

STEM SPARK

As I sat watching my child play the other day, I realized he was exploring his world with wonderment and curiosity; he had this spark to him.  That spark got me thinking about my own spark-- do I still have that spark for life as did when I was child? 

I can remember as a young child finding such awe and amazement in the world around me.  I was fascinated by science and math, day dreaming about being a vet, a marine biologist, a math teacher, a sound engineer, and finally concluding to study electrical engineering in college.  

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I also had an interest in arts and language (and still do!), at one time thinking about being a gossip columnist or concert oboist-- I know, two seemingly  unrelated things.  But this interest in all of life's subjects, this spark, has lead me to the path where I am today.  I am a systems engineer who writes children's books and a blog about inspiring kids in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  

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My hope with STEM Spark is to encourage all children, especially girls, to consider careers in STEM.  And even if a child chooses a different profession, like gossip columnist, I still hope that STEM Spark can ignite the spark that lays in a child-- that lays in us all.  At the end of the day, this blog is about having a good time while exploring STEM! Please take a look around and enjoy!  

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Sincerely,

Suzie Olsen

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"There’s something precious about aardvarks. There’s also something empowering about girls who love math. Marry the two and you have a wonderful STEAM picture book!"

  - Rebecca of FranticMommy

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"Completely charming, well written and illustrated. This is how we get kids interested in STEM subjects and promotes further learning. Annie Aardvark is a must have for every child's library!"

  - Richard Q.

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