Meet Chantelle Mastrotto
Chantelle outside of her Rehabilitation Sciences campus building at the University of Toronto.
Chantelle is a passionate Speech-Language Pathology Master’s student with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Wilfrid Laurier University. With a strong foundation in science and a heart for helping others, Chantelle is paving her path in the healthcare field. Outside of her studies, she’s all about creativity—whether she’s baking, sewing, tackling DIY projects, or spending quality time with her dog, Bear.
When did your love of STEM begin?
I’ve always been very inquisitive. My parents have always told me that my favourite word as I was learning to speak was “dat?”. The adult translation for my toddler vocabulary was “what is that?”. I was relentless in my pursuit of understanding the world around me and I developed a passion for how I could help make it better.
My love of STEM began at an early age. As the oldest of 3, I had the opportunity to watch my younger sisters grow up and face some early health challenges. I was also very aware of my aging grandparents and the care they required in their later years. I was inspired by the caregivers, therapists, and medical professionals and the positive impact that they had on those special members of my family. I was determined to pursue a career path that would allow me to have a positive impact on people’s lives. The STEM field would allow me to fulfill this personal goal and lifelong passion.
What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?
I love that the STEM field continues to innovate and that there is an ongoing drive for many new breakthroughs that allow people to help other people. For me personally, this means that I will continue to learn and develop new skills that I can use to be even more effective in working with those people who need my help. It also means that there will continue to be fascinating new innovations that will make this world a better place for all of us.
What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?
Don’t be intimidated by what may seem like male-dominated fields or career paths. I would encourage young women to follow their passions and be a positive model to other women along the way. My own STEM path was very positively impacted by two very committed and inspiring female Science teachers at my high school. Mrs. Andress and Mrs. Ritacco were great examples of passionate educators in STEM roles and they had a tremendous impact on me and other young women in my classes. I hope to be a positive role model for other young women who are considering roles in STEM, in much the same way that my female Science teachers were for me. The early inspiration and confidence goes a long way.
Tell us a fun fact about you and your current role!
During the pandemic I put my sewing abilities to good use, and hand-made reusable cloth protective face masks that I sold to raise funds for the local hospital in my hometown!