Female students majoring in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematical sciences) gathered for delicious food and empowering advice at the Women’s Career Conversations Luncheon on February 5, 2015 in the Hinckley Center at BYU.
The luncheon is a companion event to the STEM Career Fair where successful women working in STEM fields speak to female STEM students about their educational and career experiences, along with lessons that they have learned on their way to success.
This year’s panelists were BYU chemistry professor Dr. Jennifer Nielson (BS ’88, Chemistry), Woodbury Technologies CEO Karen Woodbury (BS ’76, Computer Science), Goldman Sachs business software engineer Catherine Billings (BS ’14, Mathematics), and Microsoft technical fellow Laura Butler.
“I want to hear the perspectives that these four women have about what it’s like to have a career,” applied and computational math student Martha Morrise said. “There’s a lot of conflict about having a career or a family. There’s mostly men in my field and so it’s interesting how women’s perspectives are different.”
After the panelists were introduced, they answered questions from the audience. Questions revolved around topics such as confidence, success and failure, and work-life balance.
“I’m not married, but it doesn’t mean that I want to spend my whole time at work,” Billings said.
Woodbury said that it’s okay if students don’t know what they want to do with their lives, and that everything doesn’t have to work out perfectly.
“Where we are now is not where we thought we’d be 20 years ago, so be easy on yourself,” Woodbury said. “It’s okay if you don’t make the perfect decision right now.”
Furthermore, Butler reassured the students that making mistakes is okay and that being successful means making mistakes.
“Success and failure are very long-term,” Butler said. “The only way to fail is to not try. Mistakes happen and things don’t turn out the way that they should, but that’s not failure at all.”
Nielson reminded the students that it’s okay to walk away from things that they don’t like and that they always have the freedom to choose what they want to do with their lives. For example, Nielson chose to finish and defend her dissertation while six months pregnant.
“There are many things that you’ll love and many that you won’t love,” Nielson said. “But in the big picture, you always get to choose. And if you choose to walk away, that’s okay as long as you choose.”
In conclusion, the panelists emphasized being confident and true to oneself.
“Stay true to who you are and what your values are,” Woodbury said. “Take those with you wherever you go.”
Students absorbed all of the valuable and inspiring advice that the panelists gave them and were grateful to have attended the luncheon.
“I loved their perspective on being an individual and being yourself irrespective of the pressures that are on you,” physics graduate student Sarah Young said. “Success isn’t found in a moment. Failure isn’t found in a moment. As you continually strive and try, you will succeed.”