During dinner last night, I asked my wife and daughters:
What one thing might get 10% more girls into Engineering?
For context:
– One started college in ME, and then decided that Engineering was not for her, so she changed paths.
– The other is starting this fall towards a Criminal Defense Law degree.
– My wife is a retired middle school Science teacher, who originally started college as a MSE major.
Each of them offered a unique perspective.
What was their key consensus?
1. They don’t want to be surrounded in class by men who treat them poorly, and then spend the rest of their life fighting stereotypes.
2. Math is a highly competitive class and they are under the impression that only the best of the best can compete in Engineering, and that all we do is solve tough math problems.
#1 is a known problem and something that takes deep cultural and behavioral changes. A topic for another post.
#2 feels actionable. A light went off for me. I believe that we have done a disservice to our children in how we have portrayed Engineering as a whole.
Do you think engineering is only for the best of the best in math? I certainly look for more well rounded team members, which is why we need more diversity.