Popular culture is very influential, and without having diversity in characters, different types of people are not represented and do not have a voice. This is not the case in the series Star Trek: Voyager, as there are many diverse characters. For example, as the Star Trek series’ first female captain, Kathryn Janeway has inspired me and women all over the world, and has left a lasting impression that a woman can be just as good of a leader and a scientist that a man can. Having diverse characters is important because it can simultaneously break stereotypes and give inspiration to others. When I was young, I never thought that I would want to have anything to do with a STEM career. I always thought that it wasn’t something that women did, and therefore I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t until I was in high school started learning more about science and hearing encouragement from my teachers that I realized that pursuing a career in science would be possible. Just like how Chimamanda Adichie says in her Ted Talk, “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” I had only one single story of a scientist, and that was usually …show more content…
This opens the door to new experiences and opportunities that one might not have had before, if they had only a single story of how a certain career could be. For me, the character Kathryn Janeway inspired me to pursue a career in science. For others, the character Ms. Marvel gave them a person they could relate to. Both characters broke stereotypes of how women are perceived, and Ms. Marvel conveyed that Muslims are ordinary people, just like anyone else. Having unique characters is essential in the modern age that we live in now. With so many different cultures and types of people, it’s important that everyone has a voice is represented