Camarillo teens to make trek to tech camp
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers GIVING BACK- Katherine Daily, 15, of Camarillo attended Tech Trek, a camp for teenage girls interested in math and science at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2005 as a camper. This year, Katherine will return to the camp as a counselor.

Even though it was nearly two years ago, 15-year-old Katherine Daily said she'll never forget her days in college.

Katherine was one of a handful of girls in the area chosen in 2005 to attend Tech Trek, a weeklong science and math summer camp for girls held on a university campus.

Katherine, now a freshman at Rio Mesa High School, said the camp was a wonderful experience, and she was surprised and delighted to be asked to return to Tech Trek as a junior counselor this year.

The Camarillo branch of the American Association of University Women awarded eight scholarships last week to local girls to attend Tech Trek July 15-21 at UC Santa Barbara. Twenty-five girls applied.

"Choosing (the campers) was not easy," said Donna HerleiksonRyden, chair of the selection committee. "It was very, very difficult because there are a lot of deserving girls."

Scholarships were given to Morgan Duncan and Samantha Blemker from Monte Vista Middle School; Elizabeth Coler from Los Primeros Structured School; Katelyn White from Los Altos Middle School; Monica Choudhury and Katherine Schmidt from Las Colinas Middle School; Celina Arenas from Somis Union School District and Savannah Varela of Mesa Union School District.

The California arm of the 125year-old national nonprofit AAUW, which promotes educational equality for women and girls, sponsors the annual Tech Trek camps at several university campuses throughout the state for girls entering eighth grade.

The local chapter has awarded scholarships to Camarillo and Somis girls nominated by their science and math teachers for the last eight years. The chapter pays $700 of the $750 tuition fee, the girls pay the remaining $50.

Tech Trek camp is designed to make learning fun. During the week, the girls bunk together in a dormitory room on campus, attend classes, take field trips and participate in science labs and other hands-on activities.

Although courses differ among the Tech Treks camps held around the state, generally girls can select from marine biology, information technology, engineering or bridge building, forensic science and computer robotics.

Katherine said she left camp with lifelong memories.

She chose a course in crime scene investigation and remembers one class trip to an empty, darkened dorm room. The teacher used a black light to illuminate human protein residue left on the walls but unseen by the naked eye.

"It was quite interesting but kind of gross," Katherine said.

She also remembers building and programming a robot and the information she gathered when researching the life and work of scientist Marie Curie for a class skit.

To preserve her memoirs, Katherine made a scrapbook and kept a daily journal while at Tech Trek. She recommends others do the same.

"I think that's a good touch for other campers to do, because you'll never have this experience again," said Katherine, who still keeps in touch with her camp roommate, a girl from Redondo Beach. "You learn a lot."

"I hope they look up to me (as a junior counselor), because I looked up to my counselor a lot," she said. "You're like their big sister."

For more information about the Camarillo branch of the American Association of University Women, call Janet Ackerman at (805) 482-5344.