The Society of Women Engineers traveled to the Bartle Hall Convention Center for the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day Friday, Feb. 23. The students were able to participate in hands-on engineering activities and learn from different women engineers.
SWE sponsor Brian Hagstrom saw the event as a way for the students to gain experience and advice from women engineers to help them make decisions in the future.
“I think it is important to bring our students to [Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day] for the experience of engineering outside a classroom environment while having people together who represent a non-traditional pathway, in this case, women in engineering,” Hagstrom said. “This is also a chance to learn about college prep and ask questions to have a better understanding of what [they] want to do in the future.”
The annual event is hosted for high school girls who show interests in STEM. There they have the opportunity to explore the engineering discipline fair, an industry fair and a college fair.
For junior Davin Bickerstaff, the industry fair was a great benefit in helping her meet new people and gain new opportunities.
“My favorite event was probably the industry fair,” Bickerstaff said. “Many industry representatives will reach out to you and try to make a connection for possible internships. By gaining some business cards and giving out my info, like text and email, my STEM opportunities have grown significantly.”
Similarly, Hagstrom believes the activities helped create a network for the students.
“During the different fairs and hands-on activities, our students were challenged to work with and communicate with people they have not met,” Hagstrom said. “This is a great skill to grow and opens new opportunities to share ideas and learn from someone in a different setting.”
The event provided girls, like Bickerstaff, more opportunities and inspirations to enter STEM careers.
“The most important thing I learned is that there are lots of wonderful opportunities for women in STEM and the amount of internships and such being given is growing,” Bickerstaff said. “Reaching out to people like Mr. Hagstrom can really benefit your career.”
