More than 40 female students in technical STEM programs came together to share experiences and build connections

In Chile, hundreds of women are working to build their futures in fields related to science and technology, strengthening their skills, expanding their opportunities and paving the way for more women to pursue careers in these areas. This is precisely the spirit that defines the recipients of the Luksic More Women in STEM Scholarship.

The gender gap in STEM fields continues to persist. According to ChileMujeres’ seventh 2025 Gender Indicators Report on Companies, women account for 33% of workers in professional, scientific and technical activities. Their participation reaches 36% in sectors such as information and communications, while in mining it stands at 16% and in construction at 11%.

In response to this reality, Fundación Luksic’s scholarship supports women pursuing higher-level technical degrees through financial assistance that helps them continue their studies and complete their programs in a timely manner. Between 2024 and 2026, more than 300 women across the country have already benefited from the scholarship.

“We need women to be present in the spaces where the solutions for Chile’s future are being created. To achieve this, it is essential to trust in their abilities and take decisive action to give them the opportunities to develop their full potential,” said Fernanda Orellana, Training Manager at Fundación Luksic.

With the aim of building a community and learning more about the experiences and challenges faced by scholarship recipients, the Foundation organized three regional gatherings that brought together nearly 70 students from the regions of Arica, Valparaíso, Santiago Metropolitan, O’Higgins, Maule and Magallanes.

The main theme of the gatherings was the “no’s” the students have encountered throughout both their academic journeys and personal development. Students from different fields—including programming, digital design, mining and automotive mechanics—took part in the three sessions and shared their reflections.

One of them was María Jesús Oliva, a student in INACAP’s Programming Analyst program. She explained that she had been told that “she couldn’t study while being a mother, that she couldn’t do it in her thirties, and that she couldn’t start a business while studying and raising a child.” Today, while continuing her studies and despite the challenges she has faced, she is the founder of Desenchufadas: Screen-Free Robotics, an initiative that seeks to teach mechanics and robotics concepts through hands-on experiences and affordable materials, regardless of the technological resources available.

María Jesús’s story is not an isolated case. Among the 2026 recipients of the More Women in STEM Scholarship, 30% are mothers and 53% work while also pursuing their studies.

Bethsavett Montes studied Architectural and Structural Drafting and Modeling at Duoc UC, received the scholarship, and graduated in 2026. She currently works as a Drafter and Modeler at Procure Ingeniería and was invited to the gathering in the Metropolitan Region to share her academic and professional experience, serving as a role model for current scholarship students. 

Meanwhile, in Coquimbo, Fundación Luksic invited Vilbett Briones, Director of the Food Engineering and Biotechnology Engineering programs at Universidad de La Serena and a 2022 recipient of the Foundation’s Babson SEE scholarship, to share her experience as a mother and academic, as well as the barriers she has had to overcome throughout her career.

“Women often question whether we are capable of taking on new possibilities: Will I be able to do it? Will I be good enough? That is why it is essential that we believe in our own abilities and embrace every opportunity that comes our way,” she said during the event.