The Valencia High School STEM Conference, now dubbed the Los Angeles STEM Conference, is graduating and moving to Santa Monica for the first time in three years.
In an effort to expand and allow accessibility to students throughout Los Angeles County, Abiela Sarrieddine, who is now a sophomore at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is the founder and executive president of the conference, discussed the process of taking it to the next step with her board members.
“We’re hosting the Los Angeles County Stem Conference, predominantly towards high school students, on Nov. 8 from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Creator Space LA in Santa Monica. We’re still not done gathering all the guest speakers, sponsors, but we have some interest from a lot of top companies and universities. So far, we have [companies] like NASA, SpaceX,” Sarrieddine said.
Attendees are encouraged to participate in the virtual competition prior to the conference. Attendees can display their projects on the day of the conference, which will feature guest speakers and panel discussions.
While the event is geared toward high school students in Santa Clarita and the Greater L.A. area, people of all ages are encouraged to come.
“Santa Monica is the middle point, and it’s accessible for a lot of people. The venue is right across the Metro station, too, so it’s really close to anyone. We wanted to do that for accessibility purposes, and to also take the conference to the next level with more diversity, in terms of people and the types of companies that are able to attend,” Sarrieddine said.
Sarrieddine, who began the initiative when she was at Valencia, reflected on the growth and change she has experienced throughout the years.
“I think that now, being in college, it’s a lot more interesting to oversee a team of individuals and execute a conference. I feel like I have more of a leg up because I’ve done it a couple of times before,” Sarrieddine said. “So the goal, every year, is to grow, and expose more people to networking and these fields that they may be interested in.”
To RSVP to the conference, visit forms.gle/wpRYqMY9C7rAye6Z6.
To sign up for the competition, visit: forms.gle/yjdnMg3FRN8DHLy28.
