itation ▁Board ▁for ▁Engineering ▁and ▁Technology ▁( AB ET ). ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁family ▁She ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁an ▁only ▁child . ▁Her ▁parents ▁left ▁Europe ▁during ▁the ▁Hol oca ust ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁where ▁they ▁ur ged ▁her ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁elementary ▁school te acher , ▁or , ▁as ▁a ▁secondary ▁option , ▁a ▁high ▁school ▁math ▁teacher . ▁As ▁she ▁was ▁growing ▁up , ▁her ▁parents ▁would ▁hide ▁articles ▁with ▁them es ▁of ▁" the ▁jo ys ▁of ▁being ▁a ▁school te acher " ▁under ▁her ▁pill ow . ▁Ba um ▁considered ▁herself ▁" one ▁of ▁[ the ] ▁really ▁good ▁k ids ," ▁who ▁did ▁what ▁they ▁were ▁told . ▁She ▁has ▁stated ▁that ▁because ▁she ▁was ▁an ▁only ▁child , ▁all ▁of ▁her ▁parents ’ ▁hopes ▁and ▁dream s ▁were ▁centered ▁on ▁her , ▁so ▁she ▁felt ▁oblig ated ▁to ▁behave . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Ba um , ▁engineering ▁was ▁her ▁" big ▁re bell ion ". ▁When ▁she ▁told ▁her ▁mother ▁about ▁her ▁career ▁choice , ▁her ▁mother ▁said , ▁" You ▁can ’ t ▁do ▁that . ▁People ▁will ▁think ▁you ’ re ▁weird , ▁and ▁no ▁one ▁will ▁marry ▁you ." ▁ ▁Education ▁She ▁attended ▁Mid wood ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁New ▁York ▁where ▁she ▁excel led ▁in ▁advanced ▁science ▁and ▁mathematics ▁classes . ▁Although ▁there ▁were ▁a ▁few ▁other ▁girls ▁in ▁her ▁advanced ▁chem istry ▁classes , ▁Ba um ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁girl