Entering Engineering as a Woman at FSC

Collage of words associated to engineering on a chalkboard with the word "Engineering" in the middle.

Everyone knows Engineering is a male dominated field. The number of women in the field is scarce. When I decided to pursue Engineering, one of the major concerns everyone had was why I would go into a male dominated field. The women that are in Engineering are strong and confident. They’ve fought through hurdles and broke barriers to reach the levels they are at now. Women are always given the short end of the stick and never given the credit they deserve. When they decide to pursue a career that is male dominated they are usually put down, being told that they shouldn’t bother with it.

 

When I was starting my first day at Farmingdale State College, I had only one concern. It wasn’t about finding parking, walking into the right class, or being intimidated by other college students. I just hoped that I was not the only girl in class, and luckily, I was not. Compared to the number of guys in the class, there were fewer girls, but at least I was not the only one.

I have heard from many people that since Engineering is a male dominated field, women will have it hard and they will not be treated equally. This was another one of my fears entering the major. What if I will not be able to do this? What if I cannot be up to par like the guys? Once we started getting deeper into lectures and theories, I knew what everyone told me was wrong. I was worried for nothing.

Lupton Hall is where the Engineering majors are housed on campus. It’s my home away from home. The Engineering department at Farmingdale is one of the best on campus, in my opinion. The faculty, the students, everyone works together to help you achieve your degree and pursue the career you love. In this major, I have sensed a unified understanding that engineering is not an easy major. It requires work, time, and effort just like all other majors, but we’re there to help each other out.

My worries on pursuing the major went away because of how I was treated. The guys I met were more than willing to helping me with anything I needed. I was not seen as someone on the sidelines, but someone who was one of them, a fellow engineer. They gave me the respect I deserved, and I gave them the respected they deserved. There was never the sense of inferiority between us. At the end of the day we both had a common goal, which was to be an engineer.

As I continued my years at Farmingdale, I fell more in love with the field. I want to encourage other girls to pursue it as well. Due to the low number in the field, women have to empower other women to pursue the career. When I attend the job fairs that are held on campus, I get motivated seeing female engineers in the positions they are in. I tell myself, “If she can do that and get that far, so can I.” That is the motivation I still have to this day. I cannot wait to enter the field once I graduate and show the world that women can be engineers.