Although the overall number of people attending college is increasing, women are nearly invisible in science, technology, engineering and mathematics , commonly called STEM majors with “only about 25% of STEM degree holders [are] women.” (Sheehy) This severe marginalization of women is caused by the lack of role models, stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding these specialties. One of the main causes of this lack of women is the lack of female role models. When people think of famous scientists Einstein, Newton, Darwin, and Bill Nye, they come to mind. All men. With a little more thought, you might be able to track down a couple of women like Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer, or Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, but not they are so well known. When girls can't see women as scientists, engineers, mathematicians, etc., they can't imagine themselves in those positions. Additionally, they have no one to look up to and relate to, and they may become discouraged and not pursue those careers. Another important reason why young women may be discouraged is the stereotypes surrounding STEM careers. Such stereotypes include, but are not limited to: engineering is not for girls, technology is a man's field, and, my favorite, girls suck at math. These gross stereotypes about half the population are perpetuated by many institutions. In the summer of 2013, The Children's Place marketed a t-shirt for girls. It was called "my best subjects", with selected shopping, music and dancing. But not mathematics because “well, no one is perfect”. (Bennett-Smith). The store, which sells clothing for children ages zero to 14, has been forced to remember... the paper medium... debunked, and misconceptions will continue to surround these majors. But enrollments in these specializations are increasing and, hopefully, so are women's enrollments. Works Cited Bennett-Smith, Meredith. “Children's T-shirts cause outrage by suggesting girls can't do math, want diamonds.” Huffington Post. August 6, 2013. Web. November 12, 2013. Girl Scout Research Institute. “STEM Generation”. Girlscouts.org. GSUSA. 2012. Network. November 12, 2013.Jeffrey, Terence P. “25% Fewer Men Than Women Graduate From College; Obama: it is “a great achievement… for America”.” cnsnews.com. Cybercast news service. June 24, 2012.Web. November 11, 2013.McArdle, Elaine. “The freedom to say 'no'.” boston.com. The Boston Globe. May 18, 2008.Web. November 18, 2013.Sheehy, Kelsey. “Colleges work to retain women in STEM majors.” usnews.com. News from the United States. July 1, 2013. Web. November 18 2013.