It’s hard to believe it’s already time to say goodbye to my presidency, but I couldn’t have asked for a better year for SWE, for myself, and for all of our members. It’s SWE’s 75th anniversary and also the organization’s first time hitting 50,000 members globally.
Our first meeting in 1950 was held with only a few dozen women. Although we still have a long way to go to overcome the challenges faced by women in the STEM workplace, there’s no question that we’ve banded together to create a vibrant network of women who support each other at every stage of their careers and lives. We now gather in numbers in the tens of thousands at once, while local gatherings number in the hundreds. The 90th woman to go to space spoke at our recent Founder’s Day event, and, in total, I met and spoke with three women astronauts this year. We are rising, we are making space for women, and we are doing it together. You can be proud of the impact you’re having as a member of SWE.
This year has been a whirlwind of activity. We met in August in Utica, New York, for installation and leadership meetings, where one of my favorite memories was watching the two immediate past presidents each holding one of my daughters to make sure I could stop and enjoy the celebrations of a new year. Several troops from the Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways also joined us for the flag ceremony to celebrate and support one of their council members.
Next was WE24 in Chicago, where we reached a record attendance level. I saw many of you celebrating, embracing, and enjoying the experience. When I was a collegiate SWE member, you wouldn’t catch me in a photo, let alone speaking in front of a group. I worried about whether I’d be able to find the right words to inspire and lead. However, when I stepped onto the SWE stage for the first time, I realized that it wasn’t just thousands of women in the audience but also my extended family — the ones who have always been there for every stage of my life. Then, it just became a conversation with my family, who had helped me grow into someone who could talk to an audience of thousands without missing a beat.
At the conference, some section members from my alma mater, the Rochester Institute of Technology, discussed how they could perhaps be SWE president someday, too. Other women discussed how liberating it was to come to a place where they could learn and grow without judgment or bias and without the weight of what they might be carrying at work or home.
My family came along for the ride on most of this journey. Before I accepted this position, I asked my husband if it made sense with our life, which included a toddler and new baby. He told me that our youngest, Caroline, might not remember it; however, Charlotte would, and she should see her mom leading this organization. So, I accepted, knowing that with his love and support, we’d figure out how to juggle the girls and life at the same time. Everyone’s still alive at the end, so I think we made it.
I’m currently planning Caroline’s third birthday party (It’s themed around the children’s author Richard Scarry; she loves the character Lowly Worm), and Charlotte is finishing kindergarten. They both loved being “first kids,” and everyone who encountered them went away with a memorable experience and probably a few fewer snacks. Charlotte is now an expert at charging any stage her mom is on. Still, she also quietly watched our annual awards ceremony as all of her favorite aunties were honored. She flew for the first time ever to Chicago for WE24 and got the entire SWE board of directors to buy cookies from her as a new Girl Scout Daisy. My daughters may not understand yet exactly how special this group of women is who will always be with them, but I sure do.
The rest of the year has been a blur of podcasts, WE Local events, board meetings, and planning for the future of SWE. Your board of directors and board of trustees have worked hard this year to prepare for the future by addressing issues within the organization piece by piece, evaluating impacts, goals, and volunteer opportunities. At a time when membership in many professional societies is declining, SWE is growing. This year brought many cultural changes to our communities, and we’re all navigating shifting dynamics. Many members wonder how SWE will continue to be part of their lives. Rest assured we will stand strong in our mission to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout engineering education and practice — today and for the next 75 years. SWE is not going anywhere, we are not changing our mission, no matter how the world around us changes.
Thank you to all the SWE leaders and staff for being strong, dedicated, passionate people who are willing to do the hard work for the future.
As I wrap up this final message, I invite everyone reading this to take a piece of paper and write down what Together We Rise has meant to you this year. Then, tuck it somewhere that you’ll find it again when you may need it. This could be in a journal, a planner, or simply on your nightstand. Have it as a reference for those tough moments in life when you need a reminder that we’re all quietly standing with you. My piece of paper says, “Enjoy the small things.” Joining SWE members at industry events. Going on spa trips. Having crocheted dinosaurs pop up at random meetings to make me smile. Listening to stories of women’s journeys from all across the globe. A friend slipping me some club passes during yet another flight delay to make it a little easier. Taking an unplanned bus adventure across Europe. Endless hugs.
Live Without Limits was the theme under FY24 President Alexis McKittrick. Together We Rise was mine in FY25. And in FY26, we’re asked by President Inaas Darrat to Embrace Your Story. Be exactly who you are, find your power in doing that, and reach out to other women along your journey. With that, I pass the gavel along and close out SWE’s first 75 years.
