UPCOMMING WE@RIT SPRING QUARTER EVENTS
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March 26 WE@RIT Retreat
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April 2 K-12 Networking Event V O L U M E
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April 3 Kate’s Hour Trip to Xerox
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April 17 Kate’s Hour Jan LaTour
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April 25 WE Build
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May 1 Kate’s Hour Kate Stebe
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May 8 WE@RIT Supporters Appreciation Lunch
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May 15 Kate’s Hour Diane Newhouse
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Artisan Works and Eastview Mall Trip For a special Kate’s Hour in December, WE@RIT took a group of women engineering students to Eastview Mall for some holiday shopping and time together. After shopping for a few hours, the group went to Artisan Works for lunch and a tour of their studios and art work. Artisan Works is a 60,000
square-foot gallery where guests can wander through room after room of historic and artistic tribute rooms. This event was a nice break from being on campus and a great adventure with fellow engineering students. [By Catina Jelfo, 1st year Mechanical Engineer]
Park & Ride: Creative Robotic Design In January, WE@RIT hosted an annual creative robotic event for girls in grades 6-8. The weekend was full of fun, interactive activities that encouraged the girls to create and design while working in small teams. Each team was led by a RIT engineering student who served as a role model while inspiring ingenuity and teaching the girls about teamwork and engineering design. The girls who attended also learned a bit about physics in a fun design challenge. The rest of the weekend was spent on robotic programming and design using Lego Mindstorm NXT kits. The event ended on Sunday with a robotic demonstration for parents and guardians. [By Shauna O’Hurley, 2nd year Computer Engineer]
Student to Student Recruitment: Two Students Tell Their Story Catina’s Story: Over Thanksgiving break I visited my old high school, Nazareth Academy, and spoke to a class of juniors about RIT and what engineering can do for them, as part of the WE@RIT SSRP (Student to Student Recruitment Program) . WE@RIT has a set of powerpoint slides that current women students can use and customize when they would like to go out on a school visit. I think it was a great experience for both the students and for me. At my presentation, the students were comfortable asking me questions about RIT and the WE@RIT program because they knew who I was. They asked about everything from tuition and scholarships to housing and the food on campus. It gave me a great sense of accomplishment to go back to my old school and share what I’ve learned in my first year at RIT. It was also a great opportunity to practice public speaking and it even helped me learn more about RIT, since I prepared ahead of time to be able to answer any questions they had. Natalie’s Story: I had a chance to visit my old high school, Greater Latrobe, to give a presentation to girls ranging from sophomores to seniors. In my home town, there are no outreach programs like what WE@RIT provides for young girls in Rochester. Many of the students have never attended a presentation such as the one I provided for them. I introduced them to the different disciplines of engineering RIT offers, course work that is important to focus on, campus life, scholarship opportunities, housing, and food options. The presentation was in a comfortable, relaxed environment that encouraged questions. [by Catina Jelfo, 1st year Mechanical Engineer and Natalie Ferrari, 2nd year Mechanical Engineer]
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What NOT to Wear to a Job Interview On January 23rd, WE@RIT organized a fantastic presentation on “What NOT to Wear to a Job Interview ”, one of our most popular events in the Kate’s Hour series. To demonstrate what to wear, six RIT students and the WE office staff were made over from college casual to business professional! Each student modeled one interview outfit and one business casual outfit, loaned to us by participating stores The Limited, Lane Bryant, Anne Taylor Loft, and New York & Company. The event and wonderful lunch that was served was made possible by a donation from The Women’s Alliance. One new outfit from Express was also purchased and added to Kate’s Closet, WE@RIT’s lending library of interview outfits for students. WE@RIT staff member Tess Ambrose was an amazing MC for the event and shared many helpful tips on dressing for an interview. By Natalie Ferrari, 2nd year Mechanical Engineer
s as a mentor to FIRST
Kate’s Hour with Shari Stottler: Finding an engineering job in a recession On the last Friday afternoon of winter quarter, the WE@RIT office welcomed Shari Stotler to Kate’s Hour, a mechanical engineer who landed her first engineering job in the recession of the1980’s. With spring break approaching, many students were looking for strategies when applying for co-op and post-graduation positions. In this challenging economic time, it is even more important to be polished and professional while looking for a job. Shari took time out of her busy schedule to talk to us about how to make ourselves more marketable. She explained that grades are not the only thing that is important; the activities that supplement your college experience, also play a role in how you are perceived on an interview. Shari stressed the importance of networking numerous times. Whether talking to upperclassmen and professors on campus or out on a job interview, it is important to make contacts and continually follow up on those contacts. This session was a big help to all who attended, and certainly gave some hope and a positive outlook to those looking for work. Natalie Ferrari— 2nd Year, Mechanical Engineer