I am very actively involved in the University of Michigan chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, a student organization at UM whose mission is to encourage women to excel as engineers and leaders, and to promote an inclusive community within the College and the profession that fosters universal success in engineering, independent of gender. As a member of this organization, I get to volunteer for and engage in professional development, outreach, public relations, and industry events and activties. I devote over 20 hours a semester to serving SWE, the UM community, and fostering my personal and professional development.
In April 2014, I was a part of the Girls in Research and Engineering and Technology Day (GREAT Day) subcommittee. In this committee, I got to help plan an event that brought in hundreds of middle school and high school children who are enthusiastic about science and engineering. I created educational activities, and improved my social and communication skills. In December 2014, I helped to organize the Michigan Talent Showcase with a group of students. We brought a variety of student performance groups to showcase their talent and promote involvement in performing arts at UM.
During Spring Break 2015, I traveled with SWE women to Chicago IL where I did engineering outreach at Lindblom Academy of Math and Science. More details on this trip and its impact on me can be found here.
During the 2015-16 academic year, I served as SWE's Corporate Information Sessions (CIS) Student Coordinator. In this officer position, I was responsible for recruiting and managing session volunteers, maintaining up-to-date sign-up forms, and communicating with the organization as a whole through regular verbal and email announcements regarding upcoming sessions. I was also responsible for organizing CIS Roundtable, an event where members of SWE and other officers come to offer feedback about how CIS sessions went and could be improved upon. This position allowed me to get to know more people in SWE, including developing closer relationships with the other officers in the leader core. I utilized my time management skills constantly and had to juggle keeping up with coursework on top of my responsibilities as Student Coordinator. Because of this position, I feel more confident as a leader and am able to manage multiple time-consuming responsibilities with ease.
The Society of Women Engineers
