Zenna Stirling’s signature wrestling move was called the dragon. A fire-breather in her own right, she had no choice but to join her high school’s boys team. Doing so set the tone for her current experiences as a woman in STEM, a field with a predominantly male workforce. “I was born to be a woman’s voice in a man’s space,” Stirling said. “Now, I just want to make space for other women.”

She has a history of being their cheerleader. Growing up, her passion was sideline cheerleading. But after failing to make Watkins Memorial High School’s squad, Stirling ultimately traded the high flying and toe touches for hand fighting and takedowns. “I loved wrestling from my first day in the room,” she said. “I went from being surrounded by girls my entire life to wanting to prove myself in a boys sport.”

With only a handful of female wrestlers — of which Stirling, then a junior, was the oldest — Watkins didn’t have the numbers to create two separate teams. So Stirling scrapped with the boys up until the state tournament. There, wrestling girls for the first time, she became the first Watkins girl to win a match at the state meet.

Seeing her name on the board became a springboard. Stirling sharpened her skills and found her finishing move — the dragon — “where I put people in a headlock with my legs,” she said. She started going toe-to-toe with Watkins boys in her weight class. This rambunctious wrestler proved she belonged, blazing the way for every female that followed. “Halfway through my senior year, the school finalized the creation of its first official girls team,” she said. “That means every girl after me had their own team. I was very proud of that.”

Her pioneering career on the mat ended at the state meet her senior year. She focused the rest of that year on completing her College Credit Plus (CCP) courses offered through COTC. After that, Stirling tried the nursing program at a four-year college in Kentucky. “But it wasn’t the vibe I had gotten used to here,” she said. With its familiar campus, cordial faculty, fascinating courses and practical learning methods, COTC beckoned her back. “I really appreciated their support as a high school student,” and as she transitioned to a new major, “I knew they would support me again.”

Yet Stirling also knew she would have to wrestle with the reality of the industry. She can count her fellow female engineering students on two hands. She discovered certain labs outlawed makeup, perfume and long nails. She has shaken off condescension and eye rolls along the way. “I know how much I’m worth,” Stirling asserted. Apparently COTC does too. “My school is paid for because I got so many scholarships as a woman in STEM.”

In May, Stirling will graduate with an associate degree in semiconductor manufacturing engineering technology — a program now named electromechanical engineering technology. She will be the first woman to walk across the stage and receive that degree from COTC.

Stirling’s strength and purpose have been on display since even her earliest days on the mat. “With my grit, you can’t push me down,” she emphasized. “That’s my mentality. I’m going to be the winner of my life, and I have to make a name for the rest of the women after me.”

It’s a mindset she has refined at COTC. The reason why is easy to pin down. “With small classes, being the only woman in the room doesn’t feel as daunting. If you come here, you’re going to be heard,” Stirling said. “I always tell other women that this is a great school and engineering program. I feel respected at COTC, and I earned that respect.”