RPI SWE Goes to Conference!

On October 24-26, 16 members of RPI SWE traveled to Baltimore, MD for WE13, the annual conference for the Society of Women Engineers. It was a great experience---attending various sessions, meeting other SWE members, going to the Career Fair, and much more! Hear what some of members had to say about their experience attending conference below.

RPI SWE members posing with our Gold Outstanding Collegiate Section award

"SWE Conference was such a great experience. My favorite session that I attended was the Keynote Speaker. She gave a great speech about women moving up the ranks in the work force. Also the career fair was a great experience as well. I got to talk to many companies and made great connections, which went along with the theme of the conference." ---Morgan Kube

"This year was my third SWE Conference and it was amazing and bigger than ever! Everything was really impressive, especially the career fair. Even though I wasn’t looking for an internship, the recruiters were very nice and there was so much free stuff to collect. My favorite session was one on membership, it was really cool because everyone shared their best practices and I learned a lot of new ideas that I would like to bring back to RPI SWE!" ---Ashley Vassell

"I loved that they really promoted networking! It was something I really disliked doing, but going to networking sessions definitely gave me lots of practice for future career fairs and other meet and greet opportunities." ---Obe Aye-Addo

"The Society of Women Engineers Annual Conference was great! There were so many opportunities to network, learn, and have fun. I went to a lot of workshops, but I learned the most from an outreach workshop that gave me a ton of great ideas for future outreach events at RPI!" ---Jessica Stieglitz

"Conference is the happiest time of the year!  It is the opportunity to learn a little about your field (I learned how to address misconceptions of nuclear energy), to learn about SWE on a regional or international level (attending the Region F meeting I was able to network with collegiate and professional members in our region), to apply for positions (going to the largest career fair I had the opportunity to interview for my dream company), see a new city (the Baltimore Ravens are named after Edgar Allen Poe's, "the Raven"), AND meet lots of SWisters!  I highly recommend going to a conference during your collegiate career!" ---Emily Frantz

"Conference was such a rewarding experience. I was able to connect with collegiates from across the country. The sessions gave me a number of valuable experiences. One in particular taught me how I could both respectfully and efficiently communicate with the deaf community." ---Carolyn Chlebek

October Member of the Month: Niyati Desai

I have been involved in SWE since my freshmen year, and I have enjoyed every second of it!  Whether it’s seeing the friendly faces at the monthly GBMs, or even being invited to shadow an officer and attend the SWE-Board meetings this past spring, SWE has given me many opportunities to expand my horizons both professionally and personally, and to make new friends and networking contacts.  One of the many enriching opportunities that SWE has presented me with was the chance to volunteer during the Exploring Engineering Day weekend this past February.  This annual event takes place in celebration of National Engineers Week, and is an opportunity for students in grades 3 to 6 to participate in fun activities that introduce them to the work that engineers do in the STEM fields.  It was very rewarding to see all of the eager kids excited to learn, and I’m glad I could share my passion for engineering with them!  This semester I am also involved in the Regional Conference Committee, and we are working on putting together a presentation for the next Region F Conference to make a bid to host the 2015 conference here at RPI!  Our preparations are coming along well, and I hope that we win the bid, because hosting the conference would not only be very exciting, but a great opportunity for our RPI SWE section to prosper and advance even more!  I look forward to participating in even more enriching and rewarding events with SWE!