Equivalent Too

scilence S2: 68 Biomedical Engineering & INEXPERIENCE

This week on Scilence, my guest, a student in Biomedical Engineering, discusses developing confidence when you’re a new graduate.  She stresses the importance of making mistakes and describes her efforts in becoming comfortable with failure.  She is not so comfortable with the fact she feels that she represents all women in her field, therefore representing 20% of her class.  It poses additional pressure and stress, that she doesn't enjoy.  Ultimately, her answer to associate with people who are supportive. 

My guest defines engineering, admitting that she struggles to know exactly what engineers do, considering that it is such a broadly defined field.  Lets face it, anyone can call themselves an engineer, these days.  But to her, engineering is about problem solving and getting creative. 

This week we talk about wanting to be perfect, and the constant battle that it presents in terms of constantly having to prove oneself to others and to oneself. The best thing about my guest, is that she is determined to break the vague stereotype of what engineers are, just by proudly being herself and focusing on her passion of helping people with their health.  

scilence S2: 67 Mechanical Engineering & BEING YOURSELF

This week on scilence, a group of five mechanical engineering students, talk about their experiences in a typically unfeminine industry.  We bust the myths and stereotypes about this career and confirm that the key to success in this field is genuine passion, interest and self-confidence.

My guests are early on in their Bachelors degrees and none of them willingly chose to study MechEng, but through realising that they love problem solving, creativity and found mathematics fun, they admitted that engineering was the best course to study.  

Surprisingly, they seem to be in a generation, where the gender gap is closing, but there are still issues in the minds of these young women, about how to assert themselves, speak up and be heard and believe in what they can bring to the table.  In an attempt to achieve this - mansplaining has never been so entertaining!  

scilence S2: 66 Construction Engineering & DEFYING CONVENTION

This week on Scilence, my guest has been determined to be her own self.  To her, following convention would mean death.  She has always followed her heart and in doing so has been true to herself.  She's fought too hard and worked too hard to pander to the opinions of others, yet she has also been able to function in a corporate structure to deliver successful results.  This female engineer knows how to achieve and accomplish, but does so by aligning her own passions with what is expected of her from others.  This episode is packed full of wisdom and inspiration, and always a badass attitude for surviving and thriving in a male dominate world.

scilence S2: 65 Cybersecurity & INNER SECURITY

Its clear from my guest this week on Scilence, that she's hugely successful in cyber security because she has an abundance of inner security.  She has always been oblivious to being in a minority, as a female in a male dominated world.  As a result, discrimination went straight over her head and she was able to stay strong through challenges and struggle.  This women has an attitude of steel, her own business and three children.  She's unstoppable.  Find out how her attitude made all the difference to 'having it all'.  

Scilence S2: 64 Chemical Engineering & DEFINING YOURSELF

This week on Scilence my guest has always been concerned about sustainability and regeneration, which oddly led her into a career in chemical engineering.  For someone so young, she is making a big impact in the beauty industry and most recently, she has finally found the stability and strength to explore her heritage.  Being mixed race, she has never felt a strong identification with either her mother's nor father's cultural heritage.  Now she is starting to embrace her uniqueness, by learning about her origins. 

We discuss her sources of inspiration, hope and support, and they are not STEM-related.  She shares that the key to your dream job is to work in a field that you love.  She's had her fair share of discrimination, but has it stopped her from pursuing her dreams?  Hell, no.  Its only made her fight harder.  

Scilence S2: 63 Controls Engineering & UNCERTAINTY

English is not my guests first language, yet she still manages to communicate the importance of using education to escape her difficult childhood.  Driven by the need to make her oppressed mother proud, she left home at 10 years old to find greener pastures.  
Her relationship with her father was too difficult to discuss, yet this is a woman in STEM who appears to have it all, a prosperous career, a daughter and a supportive husband.  Find out how her attitude allowed her to find a achieve all this - basically it boils down to have determination and focus to leave the past behind.   

Scilence S2: 62 Software Engineering & CHILL

This week, my guest, a software engineer is so super-chill for someone so young.  She takes everything in her stride, having gone through the challenges of being a black women coder.  She definitely feels the discrimination in her industry, but that doesn't stop her for striving for what she wants.  In actual fact, it makes her fight harder.  

 

In this episode we talk about self-acceptance, imposter-syndrome and the significant effects of our behaviour towards others.  It's true that even our tone of voice can make people defensive towards us.  

 

Its not easy being popular and successful when you are a minority.  But we conclude that its much better to be following our passions, than following others.   

Scilence S2: 61 Materials Engineering & TRAILBLAZING

This week on Scilence, my guest fell into her career thanks to curiosity and interest in physics and maths.  Her path hasn't been straight, but thanks to internships and a couple of rock bottoms, she found her way to a greater self-acceptance and inner security.  She speaks of the snobbery between physicists and engineers and warns that physics can be very exclusive rather than inclusive. 

Unwelcoming environments stem from insecurity.  In her experience it can be difficult to report the subtle harassment we receive as women in physics.  But, ultimately, the anxiety of unassertiveness pushed her into letting go of what other people  thought of her.  She had to accept herself for who she is and believe in herself; learning to trust herself above others. 

Unfortunately, women are taught to not trust themselves; not listen to their gut and ignore their intuition.   But, through the power of meditation she has found an inner peace, where she embraces her imperfection and failures, rather than fearing them.  

Her advice for women who are curious about STEM is to follow their interests rather than follow a person.  Rolemodels are useful, but not essential for finding one's own way in life, if you truly believe in your pwn abilities.  

Love yourself, be proud of who you are and blaze the trail you've always dreamed of, with or without the support of others.  

Scilence S2: 60 Tech Strategy & OWN YOUR WIERD

Although my guest this week studied mechical engineering, she believes that there is no one set path into tech strategy.  She actually works in a very diverse team, where all members share a passion and genuine interest for tech.  What she has observed is that women fundamentally don’t see themselves as technologists, and therefore don’t see themselves as being in tech. 

Despite attending one of the the most prestigious universities in the world, she has occasionally been intimidated by other peoples accomplishments, forgetting to acknowledge her own.  Experiencing the negativity of comparing herself to others has reminded her that, it’s ok to be impressed by ourselves.  We should take time to feel good and appreciate ourselves.  In short she believes we should ‘own ourselves’.  Owning her weirdness, is an attitude developed early on, from her very accepting parents.  However, owning her weirdness has not meant that it hasn’t been difficult at times. 

 

My guest has never been able to be inauthentic.  Despite always wanting to be accepted, she didn’t necessarily want to fit in either.  Now she constantly evaluates whether she is happy at least 50% of the time in situations - if the answer is no, she lets the situation go.  

 

Being a female is STEM is great, apart from when she is deprived of the chance to find solutions herself.  For her, and many women, often struggling with things invites people to swoop in and help.  Often this robs us of the chance to fend for ourselves -  a missed opportunity to strengthen ones character.  Women should be allowed to fail and not be made to feel like failures.  She struggles with being either on one side or the other of the gender spectrum.  She likes beer so that she can be one of the guys, but with motherhood - you have to be mostly female.  She believes babies are the end of ones career and that women who can have it all, have come from generations of support.  Hence she stresses the importance of mentors and pushes for diversity in the workplace, because it's the right thing to do.  

Scilence S2: 59 Medical Physics & KNOW YOURSELF

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS POWERFULLY INSPIRATIONAL.  My guest loved doing maths in her spare time and knew she wanted to make an impact through science.  Her mother was a nurse, so she spent many hours in hospitals.  For many years it was assumed that she would be a doctor.  

No one in her family went to university, but her mother always encouraged her to make her own money and have her own independence.  Her parents encouraged her to make her own decisions and follow her own instincts and interests.  Medical physics was where she had her lightbulb moment. 

In this week's episode, we discuss self-doubt.  Everyone doubts themselves, but we can’t keep doubting the path we are on.  There will be uncertainties along the way and we have to be careful not to adopt the insecurities of others - but ultimately we have to be clear in our own minds about what is right for us. 

Having two older brothers meant that she learned to make her voice heard.  Her mum helped back her up.  Coming from an all-girls school, she became self-conscious in physics, as a minority.  That was her first experience in dealing with judgement, as one of few girls in physics. 

You are the only person who understands your wellbeing and what you need to be aligned.  Its ok to be selfish, if that enables you to be your best - to maintain boundaries. 

My guest talks about motherhood and career saying that its not a balance, it's a juggle.  She worked part-time and was really supported by male colleagues.  You don’t always know how you're going to be received as the only woman in the room, but it is essential that egos are left at the door.  With her attitude and hardwork, she is now a Professor.  

My awesome guest is pushing to change male attitudes towards women - just by being herself.  She believes that society has been set up by men for men.  Women then try to be like men and we need to stop doing that, by facing our vulnerabilities, not hiding them.