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| Two of Grove's F.R.O.G. Robotics Team |
6. What
do you wish you had known in school or in work? What advice would you share?
I
wish I would have known, in college and just starting out at my career, that I
didn’t need to know everything and that I didn’t need to be perfect, or excel
at every subject/topic. in college, I focused on finding the easiest
classes to take that were outside of my core classes. In hindsight, I
wish I would have found classes that were more interesting to me and I wish I
would have studied abroad.
Jessica Steffan
Dano, engineer
I wish I had talked with more
upperclassmen to know which classes I didn't need to take, because I took a
couple my first semester that were slightly unnecessary. My advice is to talk
to people who have been in your major or field for a while to learn specific
things you wouldn't know starting out. Other than that my best advice is to
never give up!
Addison Schwamb, OCU
My
advice is to remember your classmates. You might run into them later down the
road. I go to conferences with some former classmates and professors. It is
important to continue to interact with them. They could be a client or a
valuable resource.
Caroline
Heller, engineer
One thing I wish I would have known
before coming to college is that asking for help is okay and does not show
signs of weakness. I am very hard on myself and determined to do things on my
own, so when I had troubles in a class or grasping a concept, I would never go
to my professors because I thought it showed I wasn’t smart enough. I had to
learn the hard way through low performances on multiple tests that I really
needed help, which is normal and perfectly fine. The more help I got with my
professors and tutors, the better I became at the subject. Don’t be afraid if
you don’t know something to reach out for help!
Abby Smith, OU
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| U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Johnson with a mentee |
7. If
applicable, please describe any internship or study abroad?
I
had an internship the summer after my junior year with Trane. It was an
amazing experience and was a peek in to my future as a professional
engineer. I was offered a job after graduation, but didn’t take it at
first for personal reasons. However, my circumstances changed and because
of my continued relationship with people from my internship I was offered a job
again and I really enjoy it!
Jessica Steffan
Dano, engineer
After
my sophomore year of college, I spent eight weeks studying abroad in Montpellier,
France. I was out of my comfort zone, but that is why it was one of the best
experiences of my life. We met some French engineering students and traveled
all over the country to see their famous engineering pieces- my favorite being
the Canal du Midi. I also had an internship after my junior year of college
with Terracon in Oklahoma City. Through that experience, I learned all about
SPCC Plans for oil tank batteries. I completed the site visit, took the
necessary measurements, and compiled the documentation for more than 100 tank
batteries throughout Oklahoma.
Caroline
Heller, engineer
I studied abroad in OU’s own campus
located in Arezzo, Italy last summer with an organization I am a member of here
at OU, President’s Community Scholars. I took a two-week class called
Community, Art, and Action. The scope of the class was to learn about how
Italians view community service and experience some of the country's art and
learn about the history in multiple cities across Tuscany and Rome. For the
community service aspect of the class, my group painted murals in the local
hospital wing that connected the Emergency Room to the rest of the hospital.
After that was completed, we took day and overnight trips to other cities to
learn about the art. It was a trip of a lifetime, and I recommend studying
abroad to any college student who is even remotely interested.
Abby Smith, OU
 |
| Jenks Prime Movers |
 |
| Tulsa Union Ubotics members with their mentor |
Important Point in Closing
It was brought up at the panel that every one of us had some sort of support group that helped us through hard times, which I think is super important to have.
Addison Schwamb, OCU
 |
| Mentors with the Missouri's Camdenton team, a very lively group. Tinker AFB's Jackie Pearson is the mentor in the back. On the left are Erin Roark, Lizzie Long and Jordan Fox, representing Alpha Omega Epsilon, a sorority and professional sorority for women in engineering and technical sciences. |
Teachers, Team Sponsors and Chaperones
Some mentors passionately return year after year and also recruit first-time mentors. Chaperones, teachers and sponsors not only do the same but also work with the teams throughout the year. Cheers for all of these women for championing STEM opportunities for young women!
 |
| Two of Tulsa Memorial Circuit Chargers' enthusiastic support group |
 |
| Among teachers, sponsors and chaperones is Pryor's Tonya Backward, third from the left. |
Testimonial
It was incredible to see the young women from MCROBO (Mayes County FIRST Robotics Team) get excited about their futures. I feel this year's planel was key in giving them the confidence they need and by allowing students to hear firsthand from local young engineering students and professionals. The information the panel provided to the audience was applicable and encouraging.
As a sponsor, it's inspiring to hear young women say, "I can do that." That's what every mentor/sponsors wants to hear.
Tonya Backward
MCROBO Team Sponsor and
Workforce Development Coordinator
MidAmerica Industrial Park
Pryor Creek, OK
Pryor Creek, OK
 |
| Tulsa Memorial Circuit Chargers |
Student Review
[Kat H., a member of The Circuit Chargers consulted the other attendees before writing the
following.]
At
this year’s SWE event, I heard a lot of new useful information and got a
refresher on some of the things I already knew. When I asked the panelists
about what activities we should do before college, they said that picking just
a couple activities that you really like. This answered my question fully and
was very helpful. For the three of us that went last year, we thought the
speakers held our attention much better this year because the talk was broken
up, and we had time for questions. I had a lot of questions to ask, so having
our table mentor there was great, and we all got to know each other very well.
Lane Matheson
Instructor, AP Physics 1/C, AP
Calculus BC, & Engineering Robotics 1/2/3
Director, Tulsa Engineering Academy
at Memorial (TEAM)
Coach, FIRST Robotics Team 932 - The Circuit
Chargers
Tulsa Public Schools, Memorial High School
Tulsa Public Schools, Memorial High School
 |
| Addison Schwamb with Amity from Metal Mayhem, Chickasaw Nation Science, Technology, and Math Academy, sponsored by the Chickasaw Nation |
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