But Busheska wanted moreto learn, and to escape what she described as a challenging childhood.
Her family had a low income and she was bullied often.
I was not good at the beginning, actually, she says.
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Green Carpet Fashion Awards
But, she explains, I just really liked it.
When I was doing math, that was all I needed.
However, the more she threw herself into studying, the worse the bullying got.
One day, after a particularly unpleasant altercation, she went to the principals office.
She wanted her revenge to be success.
And success she has found.
By eighth grade she had qualified for math regionals.
By ninth grade shed reached nationals.
Alongside her nonprofit and studying, shes also had internships at both Microsoft and Google.
And now shes turning her sights on the global climate emergency.
If anyone can achieve positive change in this area, its Angela Busheska.
Angela Busheska:When you are into STEM, you have a chance to really shape our future.
Look at the past, for example: I realized that gym machines are made for men.
Our health depends on us.
What do you love most about studying STEM?
Whats the thing that gives you the most inspiration every day?
I am never living in certainty.
You dont know what is going to happen, and I really love the chance to just explore things.
That thrill really gives me the motivation to go on.
And with computer science or engineering, it’s possible for you to scale your solutions to millions.
I honestly look at myself as a child in a chocolate factory.
I think that STEM can really help a lot of the population in the world.
What was your childhood dream job?
I once told my mother that I would be a director of NASA!
So your dream of NASA is actually not that far from where you are.
What do you want to do now?
Right now I think the challenge is helping with climate change because it is an emergency.
It cannot wait.
Which woman inspires you right now?
Oh, so I honestly look up to a lot of people.
We were speaking about spreading her message for fast fashion.
I am also part of Neo Scholars community, where I see a lot of women starting companies.
Youve made thousands of miles of progress, in a sense, so how do you celebrate yourself?
I am not really great at celebrating myself, to be honest.
I really am in love with time and trying to use the time as much as I can.
When I see a one-time opportunity to do something, Im going to take it.
Im really grateful for my parents, especially my mom, because she gave up everything for me.
She was not working.
She was a stay-at-home mom, so I hope I repaid everything she did for me.
What are you most proud of the work that you have done?
Well, I would say three things.
One is getting the admissions into the US.
That was the greatest dream.
The second is scaling the nonprofit and talking to millions of people around the world.
I never searched for it.
It was just me starting a project.
And third is seeing the miracles.
None of this was planned.
All of this was just because I followed my curiosity and tried to ask….
I had millions of failures across the way.
Photographed by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Green Carpet Fashion Awards
