March 2019
Supporting Women in the Susan M. Arseven ’75 Conference for Women in Science & Engineering
Women have been known to have different challenges from other species. In the educational environment, many women trudge on, feeling alone but determined to achieve their goals and hoping to finish strong. There are many supportive women activities in the Texas A&M University. One of them is the WISE women conference. This was made possible by the husband of Dr. Susan Arseven, Dr. Ersen Arseven, who established three endowments in Texas A&M University honoring his wife. The conference was a 2-day program where women in industry related with women who are students. The women in industry shared their experiences of how they transitioned from school to the workplace, their challenges and how they were able to thrive in the face of industrial technicalities.
The program began on a Friday with a dinner. There was speed dating where everyone would form little groups around a mentor and introduce themselves. We gave our elevator pitch- a short summary of ongoing activity, how it contributes to the society, what stage it is at and the new thing to be added. We rotated amongst the mentors and it was fun talking to women who had experience, there was a reassurance that things would be fine.
The second day we had sessions, I attended three of them. The first titled “Advocating for yourself and playing in the white space” by Morgan Shirley taught me to be bolder and advocate more for myself because no one would do it. Advocacy includes research about the topic and demands based on the results. Avoiding statement like “I want any job.”, but being specific about one’s strength and being ready to acquire new skills. Engage in productive conversations and be very certain about non-negotiables. Create a network of people and receive honest feedback. Always put a time to goals and work SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely). Set key milestones and tasks to achieve them. The white space is where innovation happens, when one discovers there is no solution to an issue and works at providing solutions creates opportunities for success.
The second session was titled “Writing grants and addressing valentine cards.” It was presented by Natalie Johnson. She showed us her personal struggles and how her family was able to cope with professional demands to get to their current size. Sacrifices made included moving while heavily pregnant. She encouraged us to find mentors at every stage and work on being disciplined to achieve tasks and targets. Do not strive for perfection, delegate and engage in self-care.
The third session was given by Amanda David and the title was “Networking and self-branding”. I learned that my smile was necessary to make a connection. Smile a few feet before shaking hands with someone and shake to convey the feeling that you are glad to meet the person. Talk to people, flip the script, be proud of my work, do not push personal agenda but be ready to listen. Other points include share ideas, work on a Wikipedia page, collaborate and influence people by knowing what they want and how to get it.
The keynote speaker, Shayla Rivera who was my main attraction gave us tips to face life. She is an aerospace engineer, rocket scientist, corporate trainer, keynote speaker, TV & radio host, emcee, writer, facilitator, moderator, actor, comedian and awareness expert. She encouraged us to listen to people and what they say we are good at. Be sensitive with people, let people know I see them, find reasons to laugh and remember to laugh, seal worries in a jar. She gave us cute souvenirs of tiny people in a jar and told us an inspirational story of how fleas get trained to stay in a jar. We should jump as high as we can and remove all limitations in our heads and from the voices in our past.
--- Patricia Kio
Patricia Kio is a Ph.D. student in the College of Architecture
Women have been known to have different challenges from other species. In the educational environment, many women trudge on, feeling alone but determined to achieve their goals and hoping to finish strong. There are many supportive women activities in the Texas A&M University. One of them is the WISE women conference. This was made possible by the husband of Dr. Susan Arseven, Dr. Ersen Arseven, who established three endowments in Texas A&M University honoring his wife. The conference was a 2-day program where women in industry related with women who are students. The women in industry shared their experiences of how they transitioned from school to the workplace, their challenges and how they were able to thrive in the face of industrial technicalities.
The program began on a Friday with a dinner. There was speed dating where everyone would form little groups around a mentor and introduce themselves. We gave our elevator pitch- a short summary of ongoing activity, how it contributes to the society, what stage it is at and the new thing to be added. We rotated amongst the mentors and it was fun talking to women who had experience, there was a reassurance that things would be fine.
The second day we had sessions, I attended three of them. The first titled “Advocating for yourself and playing in the white space” by Morgan Shirley taught me to be bolder and advocate more for myself because no one would do it. Advocacy includes research about the topic and demands based on the results. Avoiding statement like “I want any job.”, but being specific about one’s strength and being ready to acquire new skills. Engage in productive conversations and be very certain about non-negotiables. Create a network of people and receive honest feedback. Always put a time to goals and work SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely). Set key milestones and tasks to achieve them. The white space is where innovation happens, when one discovers there is no solution to an issue and works at providing solutions creates opportunities for success.
The second session was titled “Writing grants and addressing valentine cards.” It was presented by Natalie Johnson. She showed us her personal struggles and how her family was able to cope with professional demands to get to their current size. Sacrifices made included moving while heavily pregnant. She encouraged us to find mentors at every stage and work on being disciplined to achieve tasks and targets. Do not strive for perfection, delegate and engage in self-care.
The third session was given by Amanda David and the title was “Networking and self-branding”. I learned that my smile was necessary to make a connection. Smile a few feet before shaking hands with someone and shake to convey the feeling that you are glad to meet the person. Talk to people, flip the script, be proud of my work, do not push personal agenda but be ready to listen. Other points include share ideas, work on a Wikipedia page, collaborate and influence people by knowing what they want and how to get it.
The keynote speaker, Shayla Rivera who was my main attraction gave us tips to face life. She is an aerospace engineer, rocket scientist, corporate trainer, keynote speaker, TV & radio host, emcee, writer, facilitator, moderator, actor, comedian and awareness expert. She encouraged us to listen to people and what they say we are good at. Be sensitive with people, let people know I see them, find reasons to laugh and remember to laugh, seal worries in a jar. She gave us cute souvenirs of tiny people in a jar and told us an inspirational story of how fleas get trained to stay in a jar. We should jump as high as we can and remove all limitations in our heads and from the voices in our past.
--- Patricia Kio
Patricia Kio is a Ph.D. student in the College of Architecture