The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) conference provided opportunities for students to listen to presentations from industry leaders, interview for jobs and internships, build networks with other conference attendees and gain confidence in their own engineering capacities.
Wheaton College attendees at the SWE conference, (L to R) Katherine Hoppe ('23), McKenzie Blank ('22), Anne Wiebe ('24), Sarah Rutt ('24), Rebecca Geiger ('21), and Audrey Young ('21).
One of the Wheaton College conference attendees, McKenzie Blank ('22) reported, “The SWE conference helped me to learn more about different fields of engineering as well as the different types of companies. My big focus this year was going to the career fair and looking for internships. I was nervous at first because I didn't know how to present myself successfully. However, after a little while I was able to realize that I had unique experiences that companies wanted to hear more about. Their attention was specifically drawn to my dual enrollment at Wheaton and Illinois Tech. Everyone I talked to believed that my extra experience in the liberal arts was unique and useful. This is definitely something I want to continue to present as an asset.”
Another Wheaton College conference attendee, Audrey Young ('21) stated, “The most important aspect of the conference to me was the career fair. SWE was a great opportunity for me to get outside of my comfort zone and pitch myself to companies. I took advantage of researching a handful of companies I was particularly interested in interning for beforehand and then made sure I spoke with a representative on the first day. Next time, I'd like to make 2-3 different tailored resumes so that I can choose what I want to provide the company as there are so many different companies looking for slightly different roles to fill.”