Meet Athena Rose Manjooran, a passionate advocate for equity in STEM, turning her role as an International Women in STEM ambassador into a platform for change and inspiration.
Athena Rose Manjooran is a passionate and driven STEM enthusiast recognized with the STEM Best Practice Award for her outstanding contributions to innovation and scientific impact. With a strong foundation in almost every field of STEM, she combines academic excellence with hands-on problem-solving to address real-world challenges. Her award-winning work reflects her commitment to pushing the boundaries of science for social and environmental good. She continues to inspire her peers through leadership, curiosity, and a deep dedication to the future of STEM.
1. As a student leader in STEM, how have you inspired or empowered others,
especially young girls to pursue their interests in science and technology?
I’ve made it a priority to create opportunities where young girls feel confident and curious in STEM environments. Whether it’s mentoring students in robotics, organizing hands-on
coding and engineering workshops, or presenting innovations on national stages, I aim to
show what’s possible when we believe in ourselves. By showing up and taking space in
these fields, I empower other girls to own their potential as innovators, leaders, and
changemakers.
2. Can you share a STEM initiative or project you led that made a tangible difference in your school or community? What was your role and its impact?
One of my proudest contributions is GreenVolt, a project that addresses energy waste in homes and schools by creating a modular system that recovers heat from appliances and converts it into usable energy. I led a team that researched, prototyped, and presented the
project at the Climate Action Award—where we were selected as finalists. Collaborating with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and the Emirates Foundation, I learned how to balance technical feasibility with community engagement. The experience was a huge step in translating classroom knowledge into real-world impact.
3. What does being an ambassador for an International Women in STEM organization mean to you, and how have you used that platform to advocate for change?
Being an ambassador means breaking barriers and building bridges. It allows me to represent young girls who don’t always see themselves in science fields and to advocate for
inclusive STEM education. I’ve used the platform to organize speaker sessions, mentor younger students, and collaborate with global peers. It’s helped me initiate important conversations about equity in STEM both inside and outside the classroom. Every step I take is a reminder that girls belong in every lab, boardroom, and breakthrough.
4. How has your involvement in STEM-related community service shaped your
understanding of real-world challenges and solutions?
Working on community-centered STEM projects has shown me how important it is to align
science with human needs. Through my work with various international organizations and
leading tech companies, I’ve seen firsthand how innovation must consider cultural,
economic, and environmental contexts. Whether developing projects like GreenVolt or
supporting digital awareness campaigns, I’ve realized that empathy is just as important as
engineering.
5. Looking ahead, how do you envision combining your passion for STEM with
leadership and advocacy to create long-term impact?
I want to continue building scalable, sustainable solutions—especially in engineering physics and materials science—while also creating platforms for youth-led innovation. My goal is to connect research, real-world impact, and education by mentoring others and working with policy, industry, and education leaders. Whether it’s founding a STEM initiative or influencing public discourse, I’m committed to ensuring that more students, especially girls, see science as a tool for change. Because when young people realize their power to innovate, they don’t just imagine the future—they build it.
