Meet the suburban girls

Katherine Bassett, 17, Glen Ellyn: Enjoys working with cement, paint and glass. Hobbies include gardening and quilting and recently helped expand Glen Ellyn Library's Butterfly Garden.

Mackenna Clayton, 13, Lombard: Has a first-degree black belt in karate and wants to study STEM to get a better understanding of how the brain works.

Samaya Danthurthy, 14, Elmhurst: Comes from a family of engineers. Extracurricular activities include band, tennis and Indian classical dance.

Shannon Hansen, 17, Elmhurst: One of 150 students nationwide selected to attend Michigan Tech's Women in Engineering Program, where she gained an interest in robotics, nanotechnology and aerospace engineering.

Brianna Kishel, 13, Naperville: The youngest member of Icebox Derby, she also performs on a trampoline, rolling globe and gym-wheel in the Triton Trouper Circus with her father and brother.

Veronica Kleinschmidt, 14, Des Plaines: A first-generation American, her parents both have STEM-related degrees and taught. Enjoys building with Legos, reading and drawing geometric shapes.

Carissa Lehning, 15, Elk Grove Village: One of two girls enrolled in an Engineering Design class at her high school last year.

Patricia Mata, 16, Elmhurst: Working to improve her badminton skills and become trilingual.

Anisha Rao, 15, Kildeer: Both parents work in STEM-related fields. Interested in robotics and math.

Taylor Stapinski, 15, Winfield: Member of her school's golf team and director of her school play. Volunteers weekly at a hospital and hopes to be a nurse or biomedical engineer.

• Other suburban girls participating in the derby live in Burnham, Dolton, Glencoe, Orland Park and River Forest.