Why I chose Engineering

I grew up in the generation when our parents told us we could be whoever we wanted to be.  I was not afraid to ask questions or raise my hand.  I expected to go to college because that is what my parents did. My mother had a Bachelor's degree, even though she was a stay at home mom.

I liked school, especially math and science. It helped that I was good at it, which probably fueled my enjoyment of both subjects.  My interest in engineering really started with my childhood dream to design amusement park rides. Since my first trip to Disneyland, I decided I wanted to be involved in making an experience that entertained people like that. I was not great at art, but I liked to build. If there were Maker-Fairs in the 80's, I would have totally been there. Instead, 4H and Girl Scouts were my base of encouragement. 

In high school, I attended a Society of Women Engineers (SWE) event for high schoolers at the local college and that is where I was hooked. I do not remember what exactly we did, but I remember it was all fun and it was called "engineering."  I was already a nerd and involved in all the Science and Math competitions, so this seemed like a logical area of focus.

When applying to college, I specifically looked at schools with engineering programs. I chose Harvey Mudd College, which focused on math, science and engineering.  The low female to male ratios did not deter me and became more of a badge of honor.  In my classes, the atmosphere was collaborative and supportive, regardless of gender.

I continued to enjoy the hands on aspect of engineering and focused on the most tangible (in my opinion), Mechanical. I decided I wanted to be involved in building things that touched every day lives, which led me to consumer products manufacturing.

I have to admit, that the manufacturing world was less collaborative and supportive than academia.  I felt like I had to prove my abilities and intelligence before gaining respect.  I often had a different manner of communicating and empathizing than my male counterparts.  Although sometimes more effective, new techniques are always looked at with skepticism.  But I continued to learn and demonstrate my skills and have continued in manufacturing, design and process improvement.

I have heard that recently, the number of women studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) subjects, especially computer science, has flattened in recent years.  More interesting to me, is that there are less women working in STEM industries.  Looking back at the reasons that we chose these subjects to study and work in, what can we learn and pass on to the next generations?