How were you involved in SWE during college?
I joined SWE as a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where I studied chemical engineering. I first got involved with the section’s Information & Marketing Committee, helping advertise events and activities. As a sophomore, I was Community Service Committee Chair. As a junior, I was External Vice President, responsible for communications with external groups, obtaining corporate sponsorship, and planning general meetings. As a senior, I was the section Nominating Committee Chair, responsible for slating candidates for elections. In addition to roles in the SWE UIUC section, I sought out opportunities at the Society level of SWE. I was accepted to the SWE Future Leader (SWEFL) program as a junior, and I was elected SWE Region H Collegiate Communications Editor* as a senior.
*This regional role no longer exists.
What has your SWE involvement been like as a professional?
Since graduating in 2015, SWE continues to be an important part of my life! Because I saw the positive impact our coach had on the SWE UIUC section, I applied to be a Leadership Coach on the Leadership Coaching Committee soon after graduating. I’ve been involved with the LCC ever since, including serving as LCC Content Lead for 2 years. At the professional section level, I’ve had roles as Social Media Admin and Outreach Coordinator. Most recently, I’ve served as Secretary for the Wisconsin section. There are so many opportunities to volunteer as a leader in SWE, as a collegiate or as a professional!