Women make up almost half of the workforce in non-STEM occupations, but only a third of the STEM workforce.

The American Heart Association’s STEM Goes Red for Girls campaign aims to close this troubling gender gap, as a growing body of research shows that patients have better health outcomes when treated by women physicians.

Joining the Association this year in its efforts to inspire the next generation of women scientists, doctors, inventors and changemakers are Holly Hogston, corporate counsel for GPD Group and board member for the Northeast Ohio American Heart Association, and Brennan O’Connor, electrical engineer for GPD Group.

These women have stepped up to co-chair the 2026 Northeast Ohio STEM Goes Red for Girls Experience, an immersive event that propels local seventh- and eighth-grade girls into the exciting world of STEM.

“Heart disease has affected my family in significant ways. In 2024, my brother tragically passed away from a cardiac event at the age of 41, leaving behind his wife and three young boys. Additionally, my father survived a potentially fatal heart attack in the fall of 2025, thanks to the expertise and timely intervention of the medical team,” Hogston said. “These experiences underscore the critical importance of medical professionals. The cultivation of interest among young women in STEM fields — particularly medicine, innovation and science — can help ensure families like mine have access to life-saving care.”

“If we want to see change, then we must first change ourselves. For my field specifically, the U.S. Census Bureau (2024) reported that women comprise only 11% of the electrical engineering workforce. I believe that we should teach girls that even if our numbers are smaller, that does not mean our contributions in these fields should be as well,” O’Connor added.

The 2026 Northeast Ohio STEM Goes Red for Girls Experience, locally sponsored by FirstEnergy Foundation, will take place this winter at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Schools interested in registering students for the event can contact Jennifer Coleman at Jennifer.Coleman@heart.org, Jennifer Kulics at Jennifer.Kulics@heart.org or visit heart.org/neohstemgoesred.