Mom, first and foremost; Material scientist and engineer who was lucky enough to have tons of STEM support growing and and now loves engaging with future STEM talent because STEM is fun!
I work in a material and mechanical test lab which has machines to test different materials so we can understand their behavior. For about 10 years I was an engineering in the lab so I did the running of the machines, and now I work on the operations of the lab meaning I do whatever it takes to make sure the lab is running smoothly.
I was lucky enough to have two parents with STEM backgrounds (nurse and engineer) as well as 3 older sisters who also explored STEM careers (engineering, biology, medicine, chemistry, and math). I was told from an early age that my curiosity and love of hands-on tinkering would make me a great engineer and took that to heart!
I went to the University of Washington and got my degree in Material Science and Engineering. Before that, I actually was very lucky and took a Material Science class in high school which is how I fell in love with that particular part of STEM, so I knew I wanted to pursue that path before and during college.
I make sure our machines are working, our work is assigned to the right engineers, purchases are kept track of, that our documents like work instructions and methods are clear, that we're keeping up with new technology -- pretty much anything that need to be done to keep the lab running so that our test engineers and technicians (the people actually running the machines) can do their job as easily as possible!
I love that every day is a little different and that the things we work on may be seen or worn by millions of people. And of course the people I work with are amazing and make coming to work that much better!
I chair (lead) our organizations Women of STEM employee group, which is a place for women and allies with STEM backgrounds and/or careers can building community and learn from one another. I also mentor and manage interns who work in our lab and love getting to influence the trajectory and career of potential future STEM talent!
I am in general an introvert so sometimes I've had to make space for my voice to be heard so that I'm not overpowered by the louder people in the room. My ideas are as valuable as everyone elses and sometimes it can be hard for people to make a welcoming environment for everyone to be able to express their thoughts!
In addition to my amazing parents and siblings (who I mentioned in my "Why STEM?" section), I have a spouse who works as a youth STEM librarian (essentially their job is to give kids exposure to STEM concepts in a fun way in our local public library network) and two tiring by lovely kids.
I love mentoring and guiding people, so in the near future I'd like to get a people-manager role. Longer term, Iike to also begin to travel work with my family such as visiting the country where my parents grew up and extend family that live far away.
My family is so inspirational and influencial -- everyone has taken their own path and made it their own and at the same time has been the biggest supporters of each other. I love just getting to be near my family and spend time to with them when I can.
The road to happiness has many curves and is never straightforward. What might feel like a setback is just a step in your path, so keep your head up and know that you are capable of finding happiness and success, even if it ends up not quite being what you thought it would be.
I love traveling, do a little crocheting, and read a decent amount. I volunteer as an OBOB (Oregon Battle of the Books) chair for my kids' school -- OBOB is essentially a quiz competition where students all read the same 15-20 books, so I have to do a lot of reading! My book is "The Book of Joy" by the Dalai Lama, favorite movie is Up or WALL-E (yay Disney and Pixar movies), and I love Thai food.
