Meet 20-year-old Morgan Tracey, president of the Society of Women Engineers. She sat down with us to offer insight into the engineering field and discuss women in engineering.
HC: Tell us about yourself (full name, age, class)
MT: Morgan Yvonne Tracey, age 20, class of 2020.
HC: What is the Society of Women Engineers?
MT: The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance in the field of engineering.
HC: How did you become involved with this program?
MT: I joined my freshman year of college and got involved right away with planning outreach events and encouraging girls to get involved with STEM. All of the girls were so welcoming to the new members.
HC: What else are you involved with on campus?
MT: I am a Statler College Ambassador, where I give prospective students tours of the engineering campus and show them major-specific attractions that would interest them. I am also a member of the Red Cross at WVU.
HC: What made you decide to go into engineering?
MT: My mom was a huge driving force in my decision to pursue engineering. I had always excelled at math and science, but I didn’t know what major I wanted to go into. My mom convinced me to give engineering a try and I’m so grateful for the push.
HC: Who are some of your role models?
MT: My biggest role model is my mom because she has endured so much in her lifetime and still remains one of the most positive people I have met. Other role models of mine are our WVU SWE alumni who did so much to make our section prosper and now are working in various fields pursuing a career or graduate school in a discipline they are passionate about.
HC: How do you think The Society of Women Engineers helps young women transition into college?
MT: Entering into any male-dominated field as a woman can be very intimidating. SWE gave me the support I needed to let me know I wasn’t alone and that women engineers are powerful.
HC: What does being president mean to you?
MT: Being President of SWE means a lot to me. I am responsible for organizing so many amazing women in engineering and inspiring other young girls to pursue a career in STEM. It’s also important to me to make sure our members are aware of every professional opportunity that is available to them—and our section does a great job at this.
HC: Do you think it’s difficult to go into a stereotypically male-dominated field?
MT: I think going into a male-dominated field can be intimidating at first, but after a while you begin to not even notice that you’re one of only four girls in a 50 person lecture. I am grateful for the confidence I’ve gained in having to prove myself in a male-dominated field because I wouldn’t be who I am today without that struggle.
HC: Do you have advice for women going into a stereotypically male-dominated field (engineering or otherwise)?
MT: My advice would be to be confident in your abilities and never let it waiver. Find other women you can connect with in your field and motivate each other to be successful because having that support is a great thing.
HC: Any advice for women going into engineering?
MT: Do it! Engineering is one of the most influential career paths to follow. Advancements in all aspects of the world would not be possible without engineers and we need women to be a part of that.
HC: How can girls get involved with The Society of Women Engineers?
MT: If you are in college, most should have a collegiate section you can join. Here at WVU it’s very easy to join – just come to our next meeting on October 3rd at 6:00 pm and we will welcome you! If you aren’t in college yet, you can join SWENext which is SWE for girls who aren’t in college yet and it’s a great way to get involved with STEM before college!
HC: What are some things you plan on doing with the Society of Women Engineers as president this year?
MT: Our section is currently planning three large STEM outreach events this year: Mystery Lunch, Code Name: SWE and Girls in STEM Day. Each event has a different theme where girls of different ages come to campus and our members plan STEM activities to do with them. Our section is notoriously known for focusing on outreach, but this year I hope to do more with the professional side for our members as well as continue to do outreach. We hope to have an etiquette dinner with our members and potentially another company, and I’d also like to do more professional workshops to improve our members as professionals.
HC: What are some of your future goals and aspirations?
MT: Once I graduate I hope to start a career in a manufacturing environment, either working in quality or continuous improvement. I hope to do a lot of traveling early on in my career to get a diverse view of the world and how to solve problems.
HC: What’s a piece of advice you could give the readers who are starting college this year?
MT: Always be open-minded. Join a club you’re unsure of, explore other majors you have a slight interest in, become friends with someone you don’t know too well. You have no idea where your life will take you and if you rule things out before you even give it a try, you’re selling yourself short. You have the potential to be so successful, but not if you shut down the opportunities knocking at your door.
HC: Anything else you would like the readers to know?
MT: If you want to join SWE at WVU email wvuswe@gmail.com. To check out what kinds of things we do/have done visit our social media: Twitter: @WVU_SWE, Facebook: www.facebook.com/WVU_SWE Instagram: @wvuswe, Website: http://swe.orgs.wvu.edu/.