In Brief

10 Honors Students Attend the Largest Conference for Women in Engineering and Technology

With the help of Pennoni Honors College, the Drexel chapter of Society for Women in Engineers was able to support 10 honors students to attend the WE22 National Conference in Houston in October. Students attended networking events, a career fair, information sessions, and even interviewed with engineering companies, gaining invaluable experience.

Jillian McCarthy, environmental engineering ’25, attended a Resiliency from Coast to Coast session and she waited patiently to talk to the presenter afterward.

“She then invited me for lunch the next day to further discuss what it takes to work as a professional ocean engineer,” McCarthy says. “She happily answered all my probing questions and shared her personal information with me so I could keep in contact with her. To me, this interaction was more than just an opportunity to expand my network — it gave me a newfound sense of confidence in my desire to pursue a career in coastal work.

For Elizabeth Le, civil and architectural engineering ’24, it was especially beneficial to meet other professionals of color to discuss the dynamics of being one — if not the only — minority in a workplace dominated by men.

“I related to their experiences, and it was very uplifting seeing other minorities overcome even more difficult situations than what I’ve experienced — especially since I’ve barely started my career and have thought of giving up before because I am unable to deeply relate to anyone in my office," says Le. "I learned that it’s easy to give up, but in the end making it far into my career would be the best win.” —Karli Akin, materials science and engineering ’23