Sirja Joeveer

What I loved about the fellowship was how each mentor truly took the time to support our ideas. Whether encouraging us to start our own passion projects, providing us with detailed feedback on our Ideathon competition pitches, or offering one-on-one mentoring with accomplished young adults in STEM, I felt supported throughout the entire summer program. It was amazing to build a community of students all over the world who similarly felt passionate about STEM-based fields and were so eager to support one another. For this, I am extremely grateful to have participated in the fellowship—and I cannot wait for it to grow to include so many other talented students!

Sirja Joeveer is a high school student from Florida with a passion for math, data science, and the arts. Sirja has been dancing ballet since she was three, and the precision, rhythm, and synchronization sparked her fascination with numbers and math. Over the years, she has explored both pure and applied mathematics, and she now serves as the Vice President of her school’s math team.

Outside of math, Sirja is passionate about social justice and making an impact on her community. Sirja founded the Women on Wall Street club at her school and co-founded We Dance for Change, a nonprofit that organizes dance performances for social causes. Through the fellowship, Sirja met another student in Hong Kong and has expanded the organization internationally. Read on to learn more about Sirja’s love for ballet, her passion for mathematics, and her aspirations to pursue a career in public policy!

Meet Sirja

How did you initially become interested in STEM?

I initially became interested in STEM through ballet, which has been a big part of my life since I started dancing at 3 years old. What I didn’t realize at first was how much ballet is connected to numbers and, in turn, to my interest in math. For example, the way you hold your arms for a turn is very precise and mathematical. Ballet involves a lot of repetition, timing, and synchronization with music—all of which have strong numerical and rhythmic foundations.

These artistic elements, combined with their connection to numbers, really sparked my fascination. My mom loves to tell this story about when I was in an accelerated math class as a kid. The teacher asked us to draw a shape, and while others drew circles, squares, or even a pentagon or dodecahedron, I drew a heart. That love for math has definitely always been a part of me.

Can you tell us more about your interests in math?

I’ve explored many areas of math, starting with pure and abstract math. I took an abstract algebra class through dual enrollment at the University of Miami, where we proved foundational concepts and broke everything down into proofs, which was both challenging and fun. I also joined summer programs focused on competition-style math, studying concepts like Euler’s theorems and Cauchy-Schwarz identities.

This past summer, during the fellowship, I became more interested in applied math and exploring how pure math concepts can address real-world problems. This led to my passion for statistics, data science, and even computer science. I’m especially eager to understand and improve algorithms, focusing on how they can disproportionately affect groups like women and people of color. I’m passionate about using math to tackle civil rights and equality issues, and I’m eager to see how I can make a difference in this space.

What extracurriculars are you involved in?

Of course, I’m involved with math team. I’ve been active in the math team for years, transitioning from competing to leadership and tutoring. I’m now the Vice President of the math team and focus on engaging more students in math on campus.

I also started a club called Women on Wall Street, where I bring together a community of girls interested in financial fields. I’ve actually invited a couple of the fellowship mentors from the summer as guest speakers! Our events create a supportive space for girls interested in math, computer science, machine learning, and economics.

Another project I’m proud of is founding We Dance for Change, a nonprofit I started with a fellow ballet dancer. We organize performances dedicated to social causes. Through the fellowship, I met another student and was able to expand the organization internationally, which has been really exciting! We now have a chapter in Hong Kong and are working together to plan its first event in the spring.

Beyond that, I’m the concertmaster of my school orchestra, where I play violin, and I’m also captain of the girls’ varsity cross-country team. We recently competed at states, and I hit a personal best, which was an amazing way to finish my senior year!

Summer Experience

What was your favorite part about the fellowship?

Honestly, my favorite part was learning from the mentors—not just through their presentations and talks but also during the office hours. The office hours were unique because we could just drop in and ask questions. I had profound conversations with many mentors who seemed so accomplished, and at first, I felt like I had to present myself perfectly. But they were so genuine and open, just wanting to meet the real you. They listened to my ideas, gave thoughtful advice, and were incredibly supportive. Meeting these mentors and learning from such a powerful network was truly inspiring.

Did any conversations you have during Office Hours stand out to you?

One conversation that stood out to me was with Irene, who works in finance in New York and has a background in African American studies. She encouraged me to pursue my interest in applying technology to justice and equality issues. Her advice to be confident, self-affirming, and not rely on outward validation really resonated. She shared how she had to trust the process as a woman in a high-level finance role, which inspired me to stay focused on my goals. Her story influenced how I think about my aspirations after high school.

Did you have a favorite speaker from the summer?

I think my favorite fireside chat was Sahar’s and Amanda’s—they were incredible. I even reached out to them afterward to be speakers for my Women on Wall Street club. What stood out to me was how they approached STEM topics in a way that was easily digestible while combining many different interests. They showed how everything they pursued fit into their current careers, and they emphasized that nonlinear trajectories are completely okay.

Sahar, for example, shared how she started in politics and government, then moved to work with National Geographic, the Gates Foundation, and fundraising and service work, before ultimately focusing on rural healthcare equity in venture capitalism. I appreciated how they shared their full journeys, not just an abridged version. It was reassuring to hear because it reminded me that I don’t need to have everything figured out by the end of high school—things will always evolve over time.

What was one of the most valuable lessons or skills you learned?

The most valuable skill I learned was collaboration. Even though the program was online, working with other students during the weekly ideathons was really cool. This collaboration also extended beyond students to the mentors, who were so supportive and helpful. For example, during an ideathon weekend, I worked on an app addressing body issues in ballet. I received really kind feedback from mentors, and it encouraged me to consider continuing the project and turning it into a reality. Overall, we formed an incredible network that I know will be helpful in the future, especially as we graduate and enter our respective fields. It’s reassuring to know I'll always have people to reach out to for help or advice.

Future Aspirations

What are your career aspirations?

I hope to pursue a career in public policy, with a focus on using statistics and data science to fight for equality and address systemic biases. For instance, algorithms like Amazon's hiring tool have shown gender biases by favoring male-associated keywords, and surgical risk predictors sometimes disadvantage African American patients. I’m passionate about improving and auditing these systems to eliminate biases and see this work aligning with public policy efforts, like the recently released AI Bill of Rights.

I also aspire to use data science to support nonprofit arts organizations, such as ballet companies, by advising them on operations and outreach. The fellowship helped me realize how math can be applied to real-world problems, and hearing from speakers in venture capital and entrepreneurship showed me that nonlinear career paths are okay. You can pursue diverse interests and still build a career that reflects what you love. My aspirations over the next 10 years are focused on bridging these two areas.

What have you been up to since the fellowship? Are there any new projects you’re excited about?

The project I’m most excited about is the expansion of We Dance for Change into Hong Kong. My co-founder and I are working with Nandhika, our new chapter leader whom I met through the fellowship, to plan a performance for spring 2025. We have monthly meetings to help her connect with performers and prepare the program. It’s been so exciting to see We Dance for Change go international and to pass the torch to a new high school leader. My hope is to eventually grow the organization to have chapters all around the world!