The original item was published from August 4, 2020 11:26 AM to February 18, 2021 2:35 PM
"Rose Peck grew up in Naperville. She was a child professional opera singer, gracing the stage of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and others while also honing her aptitude for science and technology. She continued to improve her skills at University of Rochester while earning a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics. After working at a Virginia software tech consulting company, Rose returned to Naperville to combine her love of story with her love of play and technology.
Her most positive personal change and most challenging obstacle was coming out as transgender. Coming to terms with the fact that she is a woman when others told her she was not was difficult. Raised as a boy, Rose is grateful her aptitude for science and technology was encouraged when many young cisgender girls were discouraged from pursuing science and math.
As a transgender woman, she has a unique perspective on womanhood, feminism, and sexism. With her partner, she is resisting the biases of the male-dominated gaming field by developing a tabletop role-playing game that aims to be inclusive, optimistic, and innovative while still feeling familiar. She is working on game design, software development, and learning how to run a business. She hopes her efforts will be inspiring to young trans women, attract more girls to the STEM field, and bring more females into the gaming world. Her company plans to launch by early 2021."
Nominated by Karen Peck