The Who, What, Why, Where and When of SWE
When I joined SWE as a college student I did it for the basic reason that any other college student joins an organization for, free food. In addition to the desire to not starve I also met the basic requirements; I am a woman, and I am an engineer. I stayed in SWE because of the fabulous moral support that I received from my peers. Even though the number of female engineering students is growing we are still in the minority.
Now that I have finished school (and I can afford to buy my own food) I am continuing my SWE membership because of a desire to offer that same moral support to other students. I am also finding myself at a place in my life where everything is changing. A new job, a new home, a new roommate and a lot of new questions that I never thought of when I was a student. Things like handling job and family; asserting myself in a male dominated workplace without coming off as a b%*&h; and dealing with the transition from being a student to being a professional.
At this months meeting we had a wonderful speaker Charlotte Wagner, chair of the Society of Women Engineers Nation Section Vitality Task Force. She is working to revitalize SWE membership using the Orange County chapter as a model. She shared the basics of what SWE is and what our roles are as members. I had no idea how the National Board was structured or how we were represented. Because as they say "…knowing is half the battle." Now I know how I may better use my particular talents within SWE, and best volunteer my time.
Denise M. Schoen
Systems Engineer, The Boeing Company
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