Encouraging Women in Engineering: An Alumna's Perspective

In honor of Engineering Week (2/22-2/26) and Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, Sara Imwalle, '19, shares her thoughts about encouraging women in STEM.

Since 2019, I have enjoyed a career with Black & Veatch in their Water business line, where I work as a process, civil and environmental engineer helping to ensure Southern California has clean drinking water. My job is both challenging and rewarding, and I’m so glad I persevered so that I can be where I am now. It was not an easy journey, however.

Why aren’t there more women engineers?

Obtaining a degree in engineering is not easy, and being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field doesn’t make it any easier. From gender biases, a persistent wage gap, and the lack of female role models in STEM, there are many reasons why young women gravitate away from careers in engineering, but they are needed now more than ever. 

In my first engineering class at Ohio State, out of 79 students, I counted fewer than five women! While the percentage of women in engineering continues to grow every year, they only make up about 20% of engineering graduates, despite making up roughly 56% of all college graduates.

This gender inequity and resulting symptoms presented itself throughout my college career. Many of the men I interacted with were kind and helpful, but many were not. I was often asked to serve as the secretary for group projects because I “had the best handwriting,” and my contributions to the group about project solutions were not always taken seriously. Pair this with the lack of female role models in engineering and I started to doubt my abilities. If it weren’t for my computer-scientist dad and my incredibly smart and supportive friends, I don’t think I would have graduated.

Engineering can be intimidating to any student, so we must remember to both encourage women to persevere through obstacles, while also encouraging society to treat them with the same level of respect that they treat males in the same curriculum.

How do women add value as engineers?

Diversity in the workplace is increasingly important as we tackle today’s problems. A team with a multitude of skills and experiences can offer wider perspectives, creativity and innovation than a team that shares the same background and characteristics. This is highly beneficial when it comes to executing business strategies and serving the needs of a diverse population and customer base.

A world without Madame Curie?! Play a part!

Representation is a significant factor when it comes to inspiration. It can spark young girls’ curiosity when women who love their engineering careers are normalized. Knowing that another woman made it through and is now enjoying a fulfilling career can make it all seem less daunting. 

I encourage everyone, engineer or not, to take the time to introduce a girl to STEM. This simple gesture could be all she needs to unlock her interest and discover her passion. You never know who will grow up to be the next Madame Curie or Rosalind Franklin. Take a moment to think about what our world would look like if those women had not been inspired to pursue a vocation in STEM.