This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Waterloo chapter.
Savanah Wille is a 20 year old Nanotechnology Engineering student here at Waterloo. A celebrity in her own right, Savanah is one of the very few females in the midst of all the men in her program. Her enticing personality and her new job as a research assistant show that she is a force to be reckoned with. I caught up with Savanah for a quick chat on what it’s like being a woman in engineering. Here’s what happened:
What sparked your interest in engineering?
My interest in engineering was really from a lot of different things. Ever since I was young, I was really interested in science, especially theoretical physics and astronomy. I grew up watching a lot of shows about science and even YouTubed videos of similar nature. I started the first ever “It’s Science, Not Fiction!” club at my high school to teach other students about theoretical physics. Sometimes, we’d have speakers come in, watch movies, and stream shows like Dr. Who, which was really fun. When I didn’t think astronomy and physics was going to work out, I turned to engineering. I was basically looking for a challenge but I’m really happy that I did it.
We all know there is a stigma that ”girls don’t go into engineering.” Did your family or friends encourage or discourage you because of this?
Most of the people who went into engineering from my school were males. Only two women from my high-school, including myself, ended up going into engineering! So, I felt kind of rebellious, actually, pursuing this field of study. But then some of the guys used to say things like ”you’ll be the only girl in the class” or ”you can ask the guys to do your homework for you”. That really bothered me since I worked hard and I studied. They just thought that I’d stoop to that level. It make me feel a little discouraged, because I didn’t want to be judged in my program as unintelligent or incapable, since I was a female.
However, I always had support from my family. They never really knew what I wanted to do but they knew I was interested in science and math so they encouraged it. Ever since I was little, I was always around my dad who is in construction and metal design. So he was always building and doing hands on activities. When he designed things, he would always strategize and plan for every issue, which made me admire his intelligent and analytical mind. This really encouraged me to do something like engineering because I wanted to be just like him.
What are some of the struggles you had when you came into engineering?
Well, when I entered engineering, freshman 15 happened. And then the next year, the sophomore 15 happened. I also struggled a lot with feeling comfortable with myself because I tended to look around and compare myself to other people in my class to gauge my success, which is really bad to do, especially when you’re in such an elite group of people. Somewhere along the way, I kind of lost confidence in myself or maybe I didn’t even have it to start with, I’m not sure.
But, it’s definitely been tough to gain that confidence back and feel happy with myself. I’ve been trying to focus on myself and not compare myself to other people. I am interested and passionate about engineering so I’m trying to use my passion to motivate me through the rest of university and I think that my passion for engineer is a true testament of my success in my program.
Does the male dominance intimidate you?
Yes. And I think not just in my classes but also in my coop placements. A lot of my bosses have been male and most of my coworkers were male as well. I like working with a mixed ratio of male and female, so sometimes it’s kind of hard. I would be in a meeting surrounded by men, which makes me intimidated to speak up. I felt as though I was not smart enough or I didn’t have a place to speak because I felt like I was not as intelligent or as confident as them. I would also compare myself with a lot of the guys in my classes and then end up feeling like I was never as good as them. I have always looked to men in my life in an idealistic way. I always want to be as smart as them or as strong as them, which kind of does something to your self-esteem when you feel like you can’t do what they can. They’re so strong and intelligent – they’re a force. It was hard to overcome that.
What are some of the things you did to overcome it?
I guess really what I tried to do was focus on myself and what really made me come into engineering in the first place. I realized that some my self-esteem issues and my struggles were because I was giving people my power, by comparing myself to others. Especially after my last semester, which is when I went through a lot of time where I had stress and anxiety. I feel like I have a lot to grow from there. I told everyone I was going to take my power back, kind of like a battery- I wanted to recharge myself.
Right now that I’m trying to put a lot of effort into recharging my soul and getting back my energy and my passion. I’ve been trying to do things like cook, eat right, be healthy, and work out. I really like biking. A tip for some of the girls — you can watch TV while you’re doing it! I’ve also gotten into weight lifting. It makes me feel like I’m growing my strength and power. I feel most empowered when I’m respecting myself – respecting my body and my mental health.
You recently wrote an article on being a girl in engineering. Can you tell me more about that and your inspiration behind it?
I was thinking about young girls and what they wanted to do in the future. I spoke with some girls from my high school and suggested they go into engineering because of their interest in science and chemistry or math and physics. But then they’d say things like ”I’m not really a hands-on kind of person” or “It’s such a masculine industry.” I think sometimes women don’t believe they can do it or they’ve just never done it before and don’t think they can.
So, what I wanted to show girls is that being in engineering is just about having the interest. I outlined some of the characteristics that I have found in the last couple of years that are beneficial to becoming an engineer. Some of the main ones I talked about were passion, teamwork, dedication, project management skills, being a leader, and being inspirational all lead to being a good engineer. Women are so focused on ”not having the right skills” that I thought I’d remind them that the soft skills are the most important skills to becoming an engineer.
Do you have a message for women in your position?
I’d just like to say that, as a women in engineering, just be confident and believe in yourself. Find ways to empower yourself. Even though there aren’t a lot of women in these programs, there’s always diamonds in the rough that you can find. I found women in my classes to be my role models. There are women in my classes who are now at Harvard in Boston, at Soochow in China, Calgary, Toronto, and even here at Waterloo doing their coop placements! Professors, graduate students, and women you’d never expect to inspire you, can all become inspirations and role models for you during this difficult but worthwhile program. True female empowerment is when women support other women.