Event offers students network opportunities

The Society of Women Engineers Club hosted an ice-cream social last Monday 6:30-9 p.m. in the Lookout room.

SWEC Vice President Julee Drinkwater says the social, held every year, gives students and engineering firms the chance to network.

Drinkwater said building a network with companies is important because the job market is looking for women. “This is a great opportunity to prove yourself and meet up with the market. We have many contacts with firms in the area, and just as much as our members are interested in finding a good fit, the industry is working hard with us to do the same,” Drinkwater said.

Mechanical Engineering Club President Holly Staffan said the event was helpful and offered good public relations for the engineering community and local businesses.

Mechanical Engineering Club Adviser James Ferguson also thinks the social was one of the better ways to get students to interact with companies.

“They did a great job promoting professions and letting students experience those different professions,” Ferguson said.

“There aren’t a lot of women engineers in a college this small. It was nice to meet women engineers in Idaho. We were able to develop mentors,” Staffan said.

Drinkwater said the low numbers of women engineers now and in the future are a reflection of what females at young age are being exposed to in school.

She said SWEC has worked to improve this situation.

“Our club works at the Boys and Girls club teaching 12 and 13-year-old females the importance of engineering and interesting concepts of engineering through Lego building construction and demonstrations,” Drinkwater said.

CH2M Hill, an international engineering firm helped sponsor the event. The company originally became involved with SWEC through previous and current SWEC members.

“A majority of the interns working at CH2M Hill are from SWEC or got their position from being a member of SWEC. Everything evolved from there,” Drinkwater said.

Mary Margaret Rice

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