SWE Early Career Professionals Affinity Group

While at #WE24 this year, our affinity group (and some of our leaders) were recognized with a SWE Mission Awards! The SWE ECP AG was awarded the Silver Mission Award for our efforts in FY24. Additionally, our FY25 Professional Development Co-Chair, Bukola Oni, Ph.D., received the Outstanding Collegiate Member Award. AND our FY25 Conference Awards Co-Chair, Meena Nagappan, received the Rising Technical Contributor Award. 🎉 It goes without saying that our FY24 Leadership Team (lead by Marie-Pierre (MP) Delisle, Ph.D. & Jenn Johnson) was instrumental in achieving this recognition and it would not have been possible without hard work and dedication from the entire team; thank you Alyssa Acosta, EIT, Shana Roostaie, CAPM, Zoe Husted, Katrina Bliss, Connor Weston, MBA, Karissa Schipke, Madison Patrick, Emma K., Madeline (Maddie) Winter, Mia Huff, Allison J. Bell, Nina Arcot, Bukola Oni, Ph.D., Amar Dabaja, and Kathryn (Katie) Ashley, EIT. We’re looking forward to continue building, expanding, and working towards our mission of empowering early career professionals to succeed professionally and personally during FY25. If you aren't already, be sure to follow the SWE ECP AG on all our platforms so you don't miss a thing we have planned for FY25! #TogetherWeRise #WE24 Society of Women Engineers   Linkedin: https://lnkd.in/gj-y-VK7 Website: https://lnkd.in/eyK_aWUS Slack: tinyurl.com/bdh6fk8z Mailing List: tinyurl.com/joinecpMail

Meet the FY25 SWE Early Career Professional Leadership Team! ✨ Continuing our spotlight series to highlight our leaders, their passions and why they choose to be involved in SWE ECP. Up next, meet the Conferences & Awards chairs: Meena Nagappan and Mia Huff ************ Meet Meena! Where do you work and what is your title & responsibilities? Raytheon (an RTX Business Unit), Electrical Engineer II Where did you get your engineering degree? UCLA, Electrical Engineering, 2020 Why did you join ECP (or SWE)? When I stepped into my first Electrical Engineering course, the lack of women shocked me. The first thing I did that week was become more involved with SWE. Throughout my career, SWE has helped me so much - I got my first internship through my local chapter's event, my first job through WE19, and so many lasting friendships in college. What advice would you give a young professional or a member of ECP? One of the best pieces of advice I received from my alumni mentor in college was to network with people outside of your own company. One day when you want to change companies or fields, you can fall back on these connections. What are you passionate about? Aside from SWE and STEM outreach, I love to read and work on random craft projects. One fun fact about yourself! I am slightly terrified of escalators ************ Meet Mia! Where do you work and what is your title & responsibilities? Johnson & Johnson, Global Operations Leadership Development Program (Supply Chain focused rotational program) My current rotation is working in Digital Product Management for our pharmaceutical company. Where did you get your engineering degree? Georgia Tech, BS in Biomedical Engineering, 2023 Why did you join ECP (or SWE)? I joined the ECP AG to find a community amongst other early career professionals to both learn from and lean on during such a new stage in life. Being in a rotational program that requires me to move every year, this AG was the perfect way to get involved with SWE at a national level and meet other inspiring women engineers all over the world! What advice would you give a young professional or a member of ECP? Question everything! Just because things are done a certain way, doesn't mean it's the right way. Have confidence in yourself and your intuition. What are you passionate about? The medical device field and women's soccer! One fun fact about yourself! I've lived in six different states in the past 5 years! I love to read, collect seashells and cuddle with my cat Maddie.

Meet the FY25 SWE Early Career Professional Leadership Team! ✨ Continuing our spotlight series to highlight our leaders, their passions and why they choose to be involved in SWE ECP. Up next, meet the Professional Development chairs: Karissa Schipke and Bukola Oni, Ph.D. ************ Meet Karissa! Where do you work and what is your title & responsibilities? Collins Aerospace, Systems Engineer II, I support next generation radio communications products and perform modeling and simulation analysis in a mission engineering environment. Where did you get your engineering degree? South Dakota Mines, BS Computer Science AI/ML Specialization, May 2023, MS Computer Science & Engineering, Dec 2023 Why did you join ECP (or SWE)? I joined SWE to meet and learn from other women in engineering! What advice would you give a young professional or a member of ECP? Don't be afraid to reach out to people and ask for help or advice. What are you passionate about? I am passionate about mission engineering, modeling, and simulation. One fun fact about yourself! I love zoos! ************ Meet Bukola! Where do you work and what is your title & responsibilities? KDOT, Engineering Associate Where did you get your engineering degree? Iowa State University, Ph.D. Civil Engineering, 2023 Why did you join ECP (or SWE)? To help early career professionals navigate the challenges of starting their careers in a fast-paced and competitive industry like engineering. What advice would you give a young professional or a member of ECP? Do not limit yourself, no idea is too small, and celebrate milestones What are you passionate about? I am passionate about giving back to the community through outreach events and helping others grow. One fun fact about yourself! I love soccer Bukola says: Looking for an opportunity to share your ideas, experiences, or practice your public speaking? Consider signing-up as a volunteer on the ECP monthly professional development series (https://lnkd.in/g9tAxSti). It promises to be an amazing opportunity.

SWE ECP AG cordially invites you to our virtual Halloween Happy Hour on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT! Register here: https://lnkd.in/ghfPhrP6

SWE ECP AG cordially invites you to our virtual event, "Monthly Professional Development Series" on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT! Register here: https://lnkd.in/gQsjUjNi

Meet the FY25 SWE Early Career Professional Leadership Team! ✨ Continuing our spotlight series to highlight our leaders, their passions and why they choose to be involved in SWE ECP. Up next, meet the Membership chairs: Zoe Husted and Madison Patrick ************ Meet Zoe! Where do you work and what is your title & responsibilities? Google, Software Engineer on Google Maps, works on building and maintaining an up to date map using computer vision. Where did you get your engineering degree? University of California, Berkeley Why did you join ECP (or SWE)? I joined the ECP AG after attending an in person meet up at We Local Albuquerque and meeting some other members. I love connecting with other early career professional SWE members and sharing our experiences in this unique transitional period of our lives. I had already been involved in SWE in college and wanted to continue growing my SWE community after graduation. What advice would you give a young professional or a member of ECP? It takes time to adjust to big life changes (new jobs, moves, etc) and also it takes time to build new friendships outside of college. What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about creating community and building belonging, which is a big part of why I am involved in SWE. One fun fact about yourself! I have a 300+ day streak on the NYT crossword :) ************ Meet Madison! Where do you work and what is your title & responsibilities? Caterpillar Inc., Design Engineer - Electrification, Component design for lithium ion battery systems going into various applications Where did you get your engineering degree? Michigan Technological University, BS Chemical Engineering, 2018 Why did you join ECP (or SWE)? Being an engineer is tough - and being outside of the standard, white/male, demographic can make it even harder. I joined SWE continue the legacy of encouraging women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders. I joined the ECP specifically because I wanted to contribute to a community of other early career professionals experiencing similar challenges and helping each other navigate this time in our careers. What advice would you give a young professional or a member of ECP? You have the right to change your mind at any point of your career! Don't put so much pressure on accurately predicting your '10 year plan'. Just focus on moving in the direction that aligns with who you are today, if that changes in the future, change the target. No one gets a prize for most accurately predicting where their career takes them. What are you passionate about? US National Parks and Hiking. I've visited 41 out of 63 so far & love hearing about other people's trips outdoors. One fun fact about yourself! I played the oboe in my high school's orchestra.

SWE Early Career Professionals Affinity Group cordially invites you to our virtual Halloween Happy Hour on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Spend some time networking with other early career professionals with some Halloween based questions and fun games! Be sure to wear a costume if you'd like! Register here: https://lnkd.in/ghfPhrP6

The SWE Early Career Professionals Affinity Group cordially invites you to our virtual event, "Professional Development Series" on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The Professional Development Series is a monthly event with presentations by fellow ECP AG member volunteers. This month’s session will have two presentations: “Confessions of a Serial Job Hopper” by Alyssa Acosta, EIT and “I’m Late- Now What?” by Bridget Heiland. "I'm Late- Now What?" A presentation that tackles the challenges of managing time in a fast-paced workplace. Whether you've missed a project deadline, are running late to a meeting, need to ask for an extension, or find yourself stuck in traffic, this presentation provides practical strategies to help you navigate these situations with confidence. Both students and professionals are encouraged to attend. Alyssa Acosta graduated from Texas Tech University in 2020 with her bachelor's and master’s degrees in environmental engineering. After graduating she worked for ExxonMobil at their Joliet Refinery in Illinois as an environmental air advisor for 2 years. She then made the switch from the oil and gas industry to the water treatment scene by working for Garver at their College Station Water Design Center for a year before accepting a job with Burns and McDonnell. She is now a staff environmental engineer working in industrial wastewater treatment at the Houston office. Alyssa currently serves as the Co-lead for the Early Career Professionals AG and as the Chair-Elect for the Affinity Group Committee. She is also a 4-time speaker at the SWE national conference. Bridget Heiland graduated from the University of North Dakota in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. After graduation, she worked for a civil engineering company for about two years, performing surveying operations to establish building locations, site layouts, and elevations to guide ongoing construction. In 2022, she transitioned to 4EA Building Science, where she is currently employed as a Building Science Consultant. In this role, she engages in collaborative design efforts alongside architects, engineers, landscape architects, and contractors. Bridget conducts site visits in the greater Seattle area, overseeing and supporting construction crews, reviewing submittals and RFIs, and performing on-site testing. She also serves as a General Leadership Team Member for the Early Career Professionals AG and is the Educator Engagement Lead for the Pre-College Engagement and Support Committee.

Meet the FY24 SWE Early Career Professional Leadership Team! ✨ Continuing our spotlight series to highlight our leaders, their passions and why they choose to be involved in SWE ECP. Up next, meet the other SWE ECP co-lead: Jenn Johnson ************ Meet Jenni! Where do you work and what is your title & responsibilities? CDM Smith, Environmental Engineer, Everything Water Where did you get your engineering degree? New Mexico Tech, Environmental Engineering, December 2018 Why did you join ECP (or SWE)? Jenni became a member of SWE in search of a supportive community that is lacking for many women in their professional spaces. She also joined for professional development opportunities geared towards empowering women and the mentorship SWE fosters. As an early career professional with 5.5 years of experience, Jenni is excited to be involved with the ECP AG for its tailored events and community for those experiencing similar situations in their early career. The ECP AG has provided various opportunities for both professional and personal growth as well as even friendships that extend outside of SWE. What advice would you give a young professional or a member of ECP? My advice would be to start building your network and finding mentors and allies. I would not have made it through these first 5.5 years without the community I have built. What I wish I knew is that you have more time than you realize to figure out what you want to do with your career. Knowing this would have helped reduce my anxiety early in my career. What are you passionate about? I am passionate about changing my spaces to be more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and have a strong sense of belonging. I am also passionate about protecting the environment and reducing human impact to help mitigate climate change. One fun fact about yourself! I absolutely love hockey and hiking! Jenni says: I am beyond grateful for SWE and the support it has given me over the years. Being around incredible women inspires and motivates me to stay in engineering even when things get hard.

Meet the FY25 SWE Early Career Professional Leadership Team! ✨ This is the start of our spotlight series to highlight our leaders, their passions and why they choose to be involved in SWE ECP. This week, meet one of the SWE ECP Co-Leads: Alyssa Acosta, EIT ************ Meet Alyssa! Where do you work and what is your title & responsibilities? Burns & McDonnell, Staff Environmental Engineer, Industrial Wastewater Treatment Where did you get your engineering degree? Texas Tech University, B.S.& M.S. Environmental Engineering, May 2020 Why did you join ECP (or SWE)? SWE has been my support system and safe space since my freshman year of college. I have met some of my closest friends through SWE so when I was a recent graduate starting out their career in the middle of a pandemic and the ECP AG was created I jump on the opportunity to be involved. What advice would you give a young professional or a member of ECP? Never be afraid to ask questions and do not feel ashamed when you feel like you don't know what you are doing. It will come with time. What are you passionate about? Professional development and creating community amongst early career professionals. One fun fact about yourself! I worked as a newspaper reporter during college and I am also the Affinity Group Committee Chair-Elect.