Rise Up

Hello everyone and welcome to the WE24 conference issue of SWE Magazine!

The theme for this year’s conference and for my term as president is Together We Rise. This phrase has a lot of personal meaning to me, and I’m excited to share my stories of how SWE members have lifted me up and had an impact on my life and career. They are the ones who have made me — someone with a few engineering degrees and an unwavering interest in goats and dinosaurs — into someone who this organization has put its faith in to lead as president this fiscal year.

Whether you’re attending WE24 or simply paging through the magazine, my challenge to you is to reflect on how SWE has impacted your life as well, even in the little ways, and find a way to uplift someone else along the way. It can be by meeting someone new in line at the career fair or reaching out to a LinkedIn connection you haven’t talked to recently.

The biggest impacts in my life have come from the simplest things, and a lot of them came from the 20-plus annual SWE conferences and numerous leadership retreats and local conferences I’ve attended and from chance interactions I’ve had with SWE members. The women I’ve met proved that I didn’t have to be stern and serious all the time to be an engineer. They told me when I was wrong, often with an eyebrow raised. They showed me that being anything you want to be doesn’t have to mean climbing the corporate ladder but rather honoring your skills and morals in crafting a life.

They encouraged me to wear bright colors and bought me pink shoes to make sure I was shining inwardly and outwardly. They showed me how you can live anywhere you want and that there is no prescription for success. They counseled me to take a chance on a guy I met in a dark alley, who I eventually married and had two amazing daughters with. They taught me how to be a working mom.

So many women saw a world of opportunity to live without limits, which helped me live as my authentic self and set me up for success in things like jobs, moves, family life, and representing a nonprofit with 47,000 members worldwide.

At least three of my jobs or internships came from walking the career fair at SWE conferences, as many of you will do if you are attending WE24. But it is the sessions, group meetups, lunches, and casual dinners where you will likely find the greatest opportunities to grow in your life and career. Take full advantage of these; the person sitting next to you could be the person you’ll find your next career move with — or could be your new best friend. I’m looking forward to meeting our amazing keynote speakers and award recipients and introducing my husband and older daughter to their first conference experience.

If you’re not attending the conference this year, take the time to celebrate who you are, love who you are, and do that for others. After all, Together We Rise.