Valentina Kovac: The Unstoppable Force of STEM & Adventure 🌍✨

"I didn’t choose the STEM life—it chose me. And then I threw in a backpack, a thirst for adrenaline, and a dream to change the world. Buckle up." 🚀

My story isn’t one of those polished fairytales where everything falls into place. Nah. It’s messy, raw, and so damn real. Picture this: A 22-year-old me, fresh out of uni with a degree in Astrophysics (because why not aim for the stars?), staring at a mountain of student debt and a job market that felt like a locked door.

I could’ve taken the safe route. But safe? Boring. Instead, I sold my car, bought a one-way ticket to Bali, and started teaching kids coding under a palm tree. No classroom, no funding—just me, a laptop, and a burning belief that education shouldn’t be a privilege. 🌴💻

Fast-forward through countless sleepless nights, a few breakdowns (shoutout to 3am panic attacks), and one viral TikTok about girls building robots in Rwanda—BOOM. Suddenly, the world cared. Brands slid into my DMs. Universities begged me to speak. And I? I kept chasing the high of seeing a kid’s eyes light up when they finally get it. That’s the drug. That’s the mission.

Now? I’m a Forbes 30 Under 30 disruptor (casual flex 😉), a keynote speaker who might trip on stage (authenticity, baby), and a full-time advocate for smashing stereotypes in STEM. Oh, and I still travel—because the best classrooms have no walls. From hacking bioluminescent algae in the Amazon to mentoring girls in Kabul via Zoom, I’m proof that passion plus stubbornness equals impact.

Join me. Or watch me. But I won’t stop. 🔥

(P.S. Yes, I did date a Swiss astronaut. No, I won’t tell you all the details. 😘)