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| MITRE Hosts "Girls in Engineering" Day June 2007
To help spark girls' interest in engineering careers, MITRE McLean hosted a group of more than 40 Fairfax County high school and middle school students on April 13 for a special "Girls in Engineering" day. The event was organized by Senior Systems Engineer Jed Kane, who volunteers on the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system's Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee, and Karen Murray in MITRE's Quality of Work Life and Benefits division. The FCPS system has invested in building a strong career and technical education program that includes engineering and information technology courses, and it is seeking ways to tackle the persistent gender imbalance in enrollment in these courses. MITRE's "Girls in Engineering" day brought girls who have expressed interest in an engineering career into contact with professional women in a variety of technical fields at MITRE. The event kicked off with a welcome from Vice President Diane Schulte, who advised the young women to take risks, to never be shy about asking for what they want, and not to worry about being perfect. "In this era, there's no question about the opportunities and place for you in math and science," Schulte said. "Even if you're not sure what you want to do, go for the math, science, and engineering degrees. Once you have that, all of the doors open for you." Throughout the day, the girls heard from a number of volunteer speakers including Associate Technical Director Marnie Salisbury, Senior Information Systems Engineer Helene Johnson, Lead Systems Engineer Becky Lewis, and Director Lillian Ryals. Ryals told them, "Women and girls tend to attach their interest in technology to what it can be used for—social purposes. That's a gift that women and girls can bring to the world." An informal afternoon social gathering provided the girls with the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the speakers and ask them questions. Nikita, a ninth grader who is planning a career as a material science engineer, said of meeting the professional women at MITRE, "It made me feel more comfortable and not alone. I don't have to take some other kind of job just because I don't think I should do this." The day's activities also included small group activities where the girls learned about cyber security, piloted an aircraft simulator, and explored the autonomous vehicles in the robotics lab. Catherine, a senior who will major in engineering at the University of Michigan in the fall, was impressed by these hands-on projects. "Engineers get to do a lot more fun things than just work in an office," she said.
Page last updated: June 1, 2007 | Top of page |
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