Lacey Stevenson, a junior at Fouke High School, may be one of few females who will pursue engineering as a career, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may be instrumental in getting her there.

Lacey is one of 20 young women selected to participate in the Women’s Initiative at MIT this summer. Two female engineers from MIT visited Fouke High School in January to encourage participation. Recruiting was also done at high schools in Hawaii, Montana and Virginia.

“They were hoping to get women involved in engineering,” said Nelene Harris, the biology teacher at F...