Award-winning alumna inspires kids to pursue STEM careers

Alumna Anita F. Debarlaben is more than an educator—she’s a coach who uses her engineering background, personal experience and enthusiasm to encourage middle and high school students to pursue and excel in STEM careers.

After earning her electrical engineering degree from The Ohio State University in 1985, Debarlaben spent more than 18 years developing software for companies such as General Electric, Northrop Grumman and Lucent Technology.

She also served as a tutor and Girl Scout leader for many years and discovered a knack for helping students understand math and science. Eventually Debarlaben decided to switch career paths and become a teacher to combine her passion for helping others learn with her expertise in engineering.

“I started tutoring students probably right out of college. I didn't charge anything—I just wanted kids to love math and to help them do well,” she explained. “I realized that I could have a bigger impact on students if I was in the classroom with them.”

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Debarlaben excelled in math and science and considered pursuing a career in medicine so she could earn a good living and help her family. She became aware of the engineering field when she met an engineer at a high school science fair who asked her about her interests and suggested that engineering would be a good career choice.

“That's how I started thinking that for some students, you need to see one to be one,” Debarlaben said.

After teaching computer science and math at Loyola Academy in Illinois for five years, Debarlaben took on a new role last summer at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools as a high school computer science teacher, where she teaches introduction to programming, and artificial intelligence and machine learning to middle and high school students. She is also an assistant coach for the middle school robotics team.

Implementing her “see one to be one” philosophy both inside and outside of her classroom, Debarlaben displays posters of people of color demonstrating and discussing computer science, and invites diverse speakers to engage with her students. She took female students in Loyola Academy’s Women in STEAM Club on field trips to meet female engineers and teamed with the local Girl Scout council to host fun, introductory programming workshops.

“Engineering is not easy, and I never start out by saying that it is. It takes focus, discipline, resources, a positive attitude and you can’t be the type of person that gives up, even if you fail along the way,” she said. “You do not have to be a genius to be successful, you just need to be willing to work hard. Engineering is a great starting point for any other career.”

Having experienced the obstacles many of her students will face firsthand, Debarlaben also works to teach resiliency. She shares her “RAP method”—use your resources, have a positive attitude and persevere—that she relied on as a college student and explains that failure is not the end, sometimes it’s just a fork in the road.

“I understand that some [students] will have low self-esteem and a lack of role models which might keep them from pursuing STEM careers,” Debarlaben said. “As educators, it is important that we reach them at an earlier age, instill confidence, provide exposure to STEM careers and find ways to build their self-esteem.”

Last fall she was named an Equity Fellow by the Computer Science Teachers Association, a worldwide, teacher-led professional organization. The year-long program focuses on ways computer science teachers can create inclusive and equitable classrooms. In addition to implementing the new pedagogical tools she has learned in her classroom, Debarlaben also published an article that shares how teachers can help students develop mental toughness for STEM retention.

“It feels good to be given a platform to address concerns and share thoughts on what it will take to help others become successful in STEM careers,” she said.

Among her numerous honors, Debarlaben is one of only three Illinois state math/computer science finalists for the 2021 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the highest recognition bestowed by the U.S. government for K-12 STEM teaching.

But perhaps the most meaningful recognition Debarlaben has received is from her students.

“You inspired me to go into engineering,” wrote one student who took her summer geometry course, “even though I thought that I was not cut out for such a profession due to my perceived lack of mathematical skill. Thank you for being an example of hard work, persistence and integrity for me to follow.”

Knowing the importance of having a champion in your corner, Debarlaben strives to be that for her students. But educators also need champions, and for Debarlaben that’s her husband of 33 years and fellow Ohio State electrical engineering alum, Jeffery Allen Brown. They met during her last semester on campus in 1985.

“We both went on to graduate school and excelled at engineering thanks to Ohio State,” Debarlaben said. “Having him in my life and providing me support and encouragement is one of the reasons I feel I have been successful in engineering and now as an educator.”

by Candi Clevenger, College of Engineering Communications, clevenger.87@osu.edu