Bizaardvark‘s Olivia Rodrigo Raves About Co-Star BFF Madison Hu and She Can STEM
Olivia Rodrigo has plenty on her plate, going into 2019.
In addition to starring on The Disney Channel's Bizaardvark, she's also become a face of the She Can STEM campaign, which promotes girls taking on roles in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math—areas that have traditionally been dominated by men.
"STEM is a field that I've been encouraged to shy away from," Olivia tells Sweety High. "I grew up being told that girls were better at English and history, not math and science. I believe girls should be able to do anything they want, and do so with support. I would want girls to come away from the She Can STEM campaign with a feeling of support and community … I want them to know that STEM is not a boy's club."
As for her own interests in the field, Olivia says, "I'm super interested in climate science. I think it is one of the most vital areas of science today. We need to be more conscientious of its findings as we move forward as a society."
And while the actress—who has "always loved babies"—tells us she initially "wanted to be an obstetrician … to be the first face that new eyes saw," we're happy she stuck to playing rising musician Paige Olvera on Disney Channel's hit show.
In fact, it turns out Olivia and her costar Madison Hu (Frankie Wong) are #BFFgoals on and off camera.
"Madison and I hang out off set super often," Olivia says. "We do everything: see movies, shop for records, cook and have sleepovers. I'm so lucky that my co-star is also my best friend!"
So, will we ever see Olivia's role take a turn for something STEM-centric? Well, that we don't know, but she's definitely all for the idea of it happening more frequently with females in Hollywood.
"I think people in my line of work can help," she says. "What we see on TV and in movies directly affects how we see ourselves and the world. Portraying women with diverse interests, like those related to STEM, can help girls realize career options they might have never thought available."
So, what can we definitely expect from the star in the new year?
"Let's just say 2019 is going to be an exciting year for me," Olivia says excitedly. "Lots of incredible things on the horizon!"
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