Back to School With SWEek

SWEek kicked off with an ice cream and karaoke social following the SWE general club meeting. Other events throughout the week included a T-shirt design contest, raffle, social mixers and community outreach. On Thursday, Sept. 3, SWE partnered with the Society of Women in Space Exploration (SWISE) for a bingo and mocktail night.  

The following day, the organization hosted a 9/11 outreach event called Grub and Gratitude. Bella Augustine, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering and a member of SWE’s outreach committee, said that the event allowed participants to write letters and thank-you cards while collecting goods to donate to local first responders.

“It’s a great way to give back to my community,” said Augustine.

Later that day, SWE hosted a campus-wide hangout with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers (SASE), and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) for s’mores and games at the New Residential Hall one fire pit. The fun didn’t stop there, as SWE held a pool party and a stargazing event with the astronomy club before concluding SWEek with a mentor mixer.

Beyond SWEek, the Society of Women Engineers is described as a supportive community that empowers women in the engineering field, aiming to connect women on campus and within the industry. Rachel Graham, the Vice President of SWE, mentioned that having an uplifting environment while attending a male-dominated campus is heartening and eye-opening.

“At the end of the day, having a club room full of girls is reaffirming, and it’s nice to see that representation in school,” said Aerospace Engineering Junior Rachel Graham. “It’s really important to show young girls and my peers—even girls my age—that we are here.”

Graham said SWE is a resource for women in STEM—not only those studying engineering—and offers members opportunities to build professional skills while developing friendships and a sense of community.

“We do professional development events and social community building, and we’re hoping to do more academic workshops this year…SWE has given me so much. Not just professional development, it has given me friendships and really fun memories.”

For students who missed this year’s SWEek, the Society of Women Engineers plans to bring the event back next fall. In the meantime, they encourage aspiring women in STEM to find professional support, friendship, and a sense of community through SWE. Whether they are incoming freshmen or longtime students looking for a place to connect, SWE hopes to offer a space where women can find their place on campus.  

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