In July, I was honored to be a part of
an awards ceremony to honor 100 Women Leaders in STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics) in the U.S. Every woman in the room had done
remarkable things in their careers, and thanks to a variety of reasons, had
chosen a field within STEM.
Inspired by that event, as I’m inspired
by my daily work running the Department’s SMART (Science, Mathematics &
Research for Transformation) scholarship for service program, I think about how
I arrived where I am today and how we can motivate a new generation of women to
consider this career area.
There are five key things that I think
are critical:
Exposure: The more exposure women receive to a variety
of different areas throughout their educational experience and work life, the
more seeds will be planted that will help position them to accept future
opportunities in leadership positions.
Exposure to STEM and great leaders, in particular, are keys to success
and achievement.
This exposure keeps you motivated to do
your best.
In high school, I thought that an
engineer was someone who drove trains. But after a summer program exposed me to
the civil, chemical, electrical, mechanical and industrial engineering tools, I
was hooked. I am the beneficiary of that “Women in Engineering” program and I
have never looked back.
Preparation: It is often said, “luck is
where opportunity meets preparation”.
Success is sometimes viewed as luck because there are elements of
timing, sponsorship, etc. but preparation has played a large part in that
success. Preparation involves study to
focus on what you would like to do when you grow up, and what steps, i.e.
courses, schools, programs can best prepare you for your dream job.
Preparation is practice; it’s on-the-job
training in the form of teaching, researching assistantships and
internships. Such experiences give you
the opportunity to try out a career for a period of time.
Mentoring: My concept of mentoring is a
continuing legacy from my association with my own mentors and role models. It means to lead by example, transfer
knowledge, keep hands on the protégé for a short period, then let them fly, and
lend an ear, hand, or give advice only when needed.
Sponsorship: Opening doors, in an active
way, to give access and open opportunities is critical to sponsorship. Sponsorship is advocacy for individuals who
may or may not have the chance but for the good word of a sponsor on their
behalf. Sponsorship may be covert or
overt and is critical to success.
Networking: Last, don’t forget to
network. Do not be afraid to ask for help by consulting your network of family,
friends and teachers.
Our goal as technical professionals
should be to provide experiences to our younger generations, including young
women, by mentoring them throughout their careers, preparing them to deal with
whatever comes their way, creating an environment where it is OK to fail and
encouraging them to assist others along the way. Please join me in this important effort.
From Dr. Laura Stubbs
Director, Science and Technology Initiatives
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