Why I Joined SWE and How It’s Changed My Time at Stanford
I took my first ever chemistry class my sophomore year of high school, and it was love at first reaction. I had never experienced anything so magical, so intuitive, and so…perfect for me. I explored the field of chemistry throughout the rest of high school, and by the time I was choosing to attend Stanford, I knew chemical engineering was the field for me.
I first heard of Society of Women Engineers through my room host at Stanford’s Admit Weekend. I didn’t really understand what it was or how it supported the female engineering community, but I was interested in finding a community at my new school. When I arrived at Stanford as a student in the fall, SWE was hosting an ice cream social during New Student Orientation, and I thought, “Why not? Free ice cream!” and went. Little did I know that I would be joining one of the most supportive and empowering communities on campus; I had found a community that would become my home.
The ice cream social was a wonderful experience. I met and bonded with kind, intelligent, and driven girls who weren’t afraid to take on stereotypes and enter career fields where they were grossly underrepresented. If I was unsure about joining SWE before the event, I definitely wasn’t unsure after. The women of SWE were passionate about their STEM studies but still managed to be balanced, well-rounded individuals who could easily talk about the latest nanotechnology breakthrough as well as analyze the latest episode of House of Cards with me. I was instantly hooked by their energy and enthusiasm.
I applied for and received an internship position with SWE later that month and dived in to planning a Special Dinner, choosing-a-major nights, and sibling mentorship events with my team of two other female engineers who I am now proud to call my friends. SWE has been an amazing, eye-opening experience that helped me define how I want to approach my engineering career at Stanford. Surrounding myself with such positive role models has inspired me to push myself further in my academic career and has encouraged me to reach out for new opportunities on campus and beyond. I would not be nearly as prepared to enter my chemical engineering major if I did not have the wonderful women of SWE to give me advice and walk with me step-by-step through the four-year planning process.
SWE has also changed my opinion of women engineers tremendously. None of my family or close friends were in or interested in STEM careers back in my hometown, so much of my perceptions of women in engineering were based fallaciously on the media stereotypes of women in STEM as being boring, unfeminine, or solely career-focused. Meeting driven women who balanced science with activities as diverse as dance and cultural clubs was truly awe-inspiring and completely shattered any preconceived notions of women in STEM that I had. I feel truly lucky to have such a supportive community at my side as I enter the chemical engineering industry, and I’m supremely thankful for the opportunities I’ve found and people SWE has allowed me to meet.
