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鈥淚t鈥檚 shocking when you sit in a classroom and realize there鈥檚 only eight or something girls in the class,鈥� says Jelena Mrvos, a senior studying mechanical engineering. 鈥淚 remember being shell-shocked about that freshman year.鈥�

Women hold only 24 percent of jobs in STEM fields, according to a 2017 study by the U.S. Department of Commerce. In engineering, that number shrinks to just 14 percent.

Undiscouraged, Mrvos found support in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology鈥檚 chapter of the (SWE), a student group that provides professional development opportunities and local outreach programs for women in the field.

鈥淚 heard it was a great place to go to meet female peers in my major, and in engineering in general, because we all knew going in that it was going to be male-dominated,鈥� says Mrvos, who went on to serve as SWE鈥檚 president last year.

Women helping women

From the chapter鈥檚 informal mentoring program that pairs younger students with junior and senior members in their major, to regular regional and national conference attendance, SWE builds its members鈥� skills and professional networks by fostering a supportive community.

鈥淛ust by being in SWE, you have upperclassmen to go to about anything you want,鈥� Mrvos says. 鈥淏ut through the mentor-mentee program, you鈥檙e assigned a specific person you know you can always go to, somebody who will try to give you the best answer they can.鈥�

At conferences, SWE members can attend information sessions and hear about the experiences of women in the industry. This year鈥檚 SWE president, Ashley Weitzel, believes incorporating similar opportunities in local meetings can further benefit members.

鈥淲e had a former [SWE] president Skype in and tell us about her experience going into the workforce and taking graduate classes online, and some of our members are on that same path,鈥� says Weitzel, a junior studying chemical engineering. 鈥淭hat can further our knowledge in moving forward in the workforce.鈥�

Mrvos says it鈥檚 those kinds of 鈥渉onest conversations鈥� that will help SWE members as they start their careers.

鈥淭he best way to learn how to deal with those things is by talking and listening to the experiences of women who have gone through that,鈥� she says. 鈥淏eing in an organization where it鈥檚 about women is the best way to learn how to handle those things in the real world.鈥�

Speaking up

SWE members don鈥檛 waste time applying these lessons. Mrvos says she has already been in several situations where she鈥檚 been able speak about gender inequity, including during a summer internship, where she was the only woman in her department.

鈥淚 got to have a couple very honest conversations with my boss about it, and he made it very clear that 鈥榠f you feel uncomfortable or if lines are crossed, let us know,鈥欌�� she says. 鈥淗aving people like that and men like that in the industry 鈥� and having those conversations with people in school will really help turn things around.鈥�

SWE adviser Carol Hill, a lecturer of engineering and technology fundamentals, says that although more attention is being paid to the lack of women in engineering, the solution isn鈥檛 necessarily just increased enrollment. The rigorous coursework combined with the glaring reality of being a 鈥済ender minority鈥� is enough to drive some women away from the field, but Mrvos and Weitzel have held firm. That confidence is key, Hill says.

鈥淚t does take a determination,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t does take a drive. You are always judged on whether you are capable, even though you are. It鈥檚 that confidence that has to come along with it and support you.鈥�

A rising tide

The women of SWE are also setting an example of their own for future generations. At annual events for Athens鈥� Girl Scouts, Brownies, and Daisies, girls as young as 6 are asked to complete various challenges using engineering techniques.

鈥淪eeing them communicate with each other and bounce ideas off each other to create a working experiment was very mind-boggling and awesome to see happen,鈥� Weitzel says.

Mrvos says it鈥檚 important to introduce students to STEM fields during their formative years. Although the industry might seem male-dominated now, those 鈥渆lementary school kids building circuit boards鈥� will grow up some day.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take years until those kindergartners who are on their iPads playing engineering games get all the way through college,鈥� Mrvos says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a slow process and slow change, but I think we鈥檙e absolutely headed down the right path."

Feature photo: Chemical engineering senior and Society of Women Engineers President Ashley Weitzel (RIGHT) helps an Athens-area Girl Scout assemble a Rube Goldberg machine at the groups鈥� 鈥淏uildings, Brains, and Boxes鈥� design contest this spring. Photo by Ashley Stottlemyer