‘Access & opportunity’: Orlando woman is on mission to give young women a future in STEM

ORLANDO, Fla. — Laine Powell was born and raised in south Florida, but she’s not blazing a trail for hundreds of young girls each year right here in Central Florida.

In the fall of 2022, she hosted a record number of young girls during a conference at the University of Central Florida, introducing science, technology, engineering, and math programs to some and also nurturing the skills of others.

“Our conference this past December, held at the University of Central Florida, we had nearly 700 girls attend. So, you can’t tell me that this program is not needed here,” Powell said.

Read: Orlando International Airport honors aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman with special exhibit

It is a full-circle moment for a woman who grew up in a Haitian household in South Florida.

Simply sitting back and hoping for success wasn’t an option.

“My dad worked at a t-shirt factory initially and retired as a purchasing manager for the University of Miami Hospital. And my mom was a nurse,” Powell told WFTV Anchor Daralene Jones.

Powell graduated from the University of Florida but made her mark on campus, reinvigorating the NAACP chapter and through service as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Read: Forgotten for a century, new technology unearthing Central Florida Black cemetery

“Bringing back the NAACP chapter, we had an opportunity to bring world-class leaders to campus to share their journey, to share their struggles, and to share how we can continue to uplift the black community and also be of service on UF’s campus,” Powell stated.

It was after grad school at Penn State and a move to Orlando when Laine knew she had to do something impactful.

“My husband, who was a double major in computer science and electrical engineering. I attended conferences with him. And one of the things that I noticed was that there were hardly any women at these conferences or events, but there were hardly any women who looked like me. And at the time, I didn’t know what to do with that information,” Powell remembers.

Read: Orange County library honors African American literature during Black History Month

She took a bold move and started Tech Sassy Girlz in 2012, with 40 girls in a small space they quickly outgrew.

Through two programs, she’s helped hundreds of underrepresented girls get access to STEM regardless of their zip code.

“We also infuse professional development training. So, they’re learning about communication skills, presentation skills, developing their resumes, and also interviewing skills so that they can pursue internship opportunities afterwards,” Powell said.

Read: 9 events celebrating Black History Month in Orlando

While she’s busy inspiring others, she’s also carrying with her the person who inspires her most. Laine’s mom passed away when she was just 7 years old.

“My mom would say, ‘I’m so proud of you because you’ve sacrificed so much for this organization. People don’t know my story. They don’t know how many “nos’ " I’ve experienced to get Tech Sassy to where it is today,” Powell said.

For more information on Tech Sassy Girls click here.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2023 Cox Media Group