Oakdale High School senior Hailey Brown is not afraid to pursue her interests. The 17-year-old student was recently named as a 2017 Outstanding Young Woman by the Stanislaus County Commission for Women, an honor that earned the senior a $500 scholarship.

Brown shared she was nominated for the honor by Jeri Trainor, Planning Coordinator for Stanislaus County Office of Education Leadership Academy.

“I was very surprised,” she said of being awarded the honor.

Brown added that in addition to the nomination, she completed a brief questionnaire regarding how she is impacted by the community and women, specifically.

Part of those experiences have come through her involvement with the Leadership Academy, she said. The group meets one Friday each month during the school year and exposes students to careers as well as volunteer opportunities within Stanislaus County.

“I highly recommend it to anyone,” Brown said of the academy. “It’s been a great experience.”

Brown also founded the Engineering Club at OHS, to help fellow Mustangs learn more about engineering.

“One of my goals through this club,” she said, “was to try and keep it gender balanced. There’s a lack of women in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) careers. I founded the club so other people could gain more exposure.”

The senior shared she herself first discovered her passion for a STEM field during her junior year at OHS, a passion which then prompted her to attend two summer camps in 2016 to further explore STEM areas.

“I got a little taste of everything to see what I liked,” she said of her stay at a camp put on at UC Santa Clara.

Her current sights are set on a career in Computer Engineering or Aerospace Engineering. She stated she’s currently leaning more toward Aerospace and studying the subject at UC San Diego. In five years’ time, she hopes to be attending graduate school and working toward her Master’s Degree.

“I just love that engineering is always constantly changing,” she said.