6/27/18- My Dream Job

I had a scary dream, but with a happy ending, the other night.  Bobby, Jack and I were flying somewhere overseas (the destination I forget, but it's not relevant to the story).  We're on a 747, so it's commercial flight with 300 something passengers.  All of sudden, we have to make a crash landing on the sea.  Luckily, our pilots manage to land use on the ocean with minimal damage. Passengers have bumps and scraps, but no major injures.  And no deaths (woo miracle and woo subconscious for making that happen).

Which is great, expect we're all now drifting randomly at sea with nothing but seat cushions as flotation devices.  Thankfully the US Coast Guard shows up out of no where with a big enough boat to put 300 something people on it.  They attend to the wounded and give us blankets and water.  We are all safe and headed home.  It's a happy ending!

But the dream wasn't really about a fear of flying and crashing into the sea.  I believe the dream was about my day job.  I try to stay pretty vague on my blog about where I work to avoid getting into trouble with my company.  However, my author profile does indicate that I work on the search and rescue system for the US Coast Guard (and all my friends and family know that's the project I work on, so it'd not that big of secret).  So the fact that my family and I are rescued at sea by the US Coast Guard in my dream, that was not a coincidence.

I am proud that I work as a systems engineer on the search and rescue system for the US Coast Guard.  I have much gratification that a project I work on saves people lives (specifically, people lost or distressed at sea and require rescuing).  To me, it's a project that makes a positive impact on the world.  And I love that I provide for my family through such a positive project.  I'm pretty sure that's why I dreamed about the Coast Guard rescuing my family the other night-- there's great satisfaction that two of my ideals, providing for my family and positively impacting the word, can co-exist.

Sometimes I'm not happy with the limited work I've been relegated to, and a lot of the time, I'm not happy with some of the things my company does.  My project within my company is pretty great, but the rest of my company frustrates me. Executive leadership has done some things in the past that show that they care more about profit and shareholders than the employees that work there. They also take on some projects that I'm not sure meld with my personal values and ideals.  That is what has made the past couple of years really hard for me in terms of working there.

And while I search for what to do next, I'm going to try and focus on the good that the search and rescue system project does while I provide a good life for my family.  I think continuing to focus on the positive of my current work situation will make me a better optimist and in turn, will open up the door to my next GREAT thing. That is my dream. I wish that we may all find work that we believe in.  May we all find our dream.

That's Me (standing in front and) Sharing with Students What I Do for A Living

3/5/18- SWE and Me

I meant to have a post the week of February 19 about Engineers Week.  Engineers Week, or E-Week as most engineers refer to it, celebrates how engineers make a difference in the world.  But I got a little too busy celebrating.  First up in my E-Week celebrations was the 2017 KEZ Beth McDonald Woman of the Year Award.  I was a nominee thanks to my dear husband (after complaining to him about how I don't think I'll ever again receive an award from my company).  I was Ms. October, meaning I was nominated in the month of October.  I attended an awesome reception at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch, and my dear husband and two of my mentors (and friends) joined me.

I am happy to report that I did not win Woman of the Year; yes, happy.  The winner was Elizabeth Singleton, who is the president of Build Us H.O.P.E.  The nonprofit offers housing programs primarily targeted to veterans and the seriously mentally ill, disabled or chronically homeless. Pretty amazing, right?  It's pretty hard to be disappointed losing to such an amazing woman.  And as cliche as it is, I felt like a winner just being a nominee.  I had a really great time celebrating with my hubby and friends (and strangers, some which became friends).  It's an evening I'll never forget. 

2017 KEZ Beth McDonald Woman of the Year Nominees and Winner 
(Elizabeth, the winner, is in the middle/in the red sweater)

Part of the reason I was nominated is for my volunteer work with the nonprofit Society of Women Engineers, or SWE.  I'm currently the Vice President of the local Phoenix section and have done various K-12 STEM outreach with SWE.  SWE really means a lot to me; it's for sure a favorite nonprofit of mine. SWE's mission is to stimulate women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity.

The regional SWE conference just also happened to be taking place the day after the Woman of the Year Award. So I got to continue my E-Week celebration with one of my favorites nonprofits. I participated in the conference's SWENext Design Lab-- Design Lab is an experience designed to encourage girls to choose a career in engineering (more K-12 STEM outreach, yay!).  I mentored a team of six female middle school students through two engineering design and build experiments/projects.  The girls didn't really need my help, they were all well versed in STEM, but we all had a fun time.  

I love being able to mentor the next generation of engineers, and I especially love being able to volunteer and pay it forward to SWE.  SWE has done so much for me personally.  When I first joined in college (2001!), I was just looking for a resume filler.  However, I soon made many friends, finding support and help with classes, internships and jobs,  and really all things an engineering undergrad needs.  I don't think I would have stuck with engineering if I wasn't in SWE (and okay, also encouragement from my parents; got to give them a little bit of credit 😉).  

Mentoring the Next Gen

I know for sure I wouldn't have gotten my first (and only) internship without SWE. The collegiate section sent out an email saying that Medtronic was looking for interns, so I sent an email to Medtronic with my resume attached, referencing that I heard about the job through SWE.  I also know for sure that I wouldn't have gotten a job with my current company without SWE.  I had applied to a SWE Phoenix scholarship for local collegiate SWE students, and I was one of the winners!  I accepted my scholarship at the 2004 regional SWE conference, and a recruiter from my current company approached me. She said she'd like me to apply to work for the company.   And well, here it is 13 years later.   

But more than that, it's given me the network and support that I've needed over the years to actually stay in this industry.  My mentors that attended the Woman of the Year Award with me have both been part of my SWE network (although we did first meet through work); one of my mentors is the current SWE Phoenix President (hi Syronna! you rock!).  I also meet my current Working Engineer Moms Facebook Group and its admins through SWE; this Facebook group has been a lifeline as a working mom (and engineer).  I'm pretty sure without this wonderful network of engineers, without SWE, I would have left engineering 13 years ago.  A sincere thank you to all my SWE'esters.  Thank you for being there for me.     

If you want to learn more about SWE and their mission to support women in engineering in all phases of their careers (and men can be members too! remember He for She), here's a link to their website: http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/

If you live in Phoenix metro area and want to nominate an amazing woman for the KEZ Beth McDonald WoY Award, here's more info: https://kez999.iheart.com/contests/999-kez-and-shea-homes-40626/  Thank you to Beth McDonald and KEZ and their sponsors of this award for acknowledging the very cool and amazing women in our city!  Thank you Bobby, my family and my friends for all of your support.  And also thank you to the other 11 nominees for being such an inspiration for our local community! 

2/6/18- Reading List 5: Women of Color STEM Picture Books

Another author recently tweeted about moving past "'Here's a list of diverse books!' and progress to a day where ALL of our lists- about science books, mysteries, romance, etc. - are diverse."  But I think to get to subconscious diversity and inclusion in books, you have to take deliberate and conscious action.  A list purposely showcasing kick-shark Women of Color (WoC) in STEM is needed-- it is what facilitates the discussion of diversity and inclusion in books and gets authors writing diverse characters into their stories.  And it's the same with engineering.  Our industry has to deliberately take action to increase the number of women and people of color because honestly, I don't think diversity and inclusion would happen in engineering without conscious action.

Alright, enough philosophizing and more showcasing.  Here's my list of picture books featuring kick-shark women in STEM in honor of Black History Month.  And if I missed one of your favorites WoC in STEM picture books, please call me out on it.  I want to know; I want to add that book to my list!  Thanks in advance!

1) Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race 
Written by Margot Lee Shetterly and Illustrated by Laura Freeman
The story of NASA mathematicians Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden and their contributions to America's first journeys into space.

2) The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath 

Written by Julia Finley Mosca and Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Dr. Bath is responsible for a game-changing treatment for blindness.


3) Mae Among the Stars
Written by Roda Ahmed and Illustrated by Stasia Burrington
The story of young Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel in space.

4) Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman 
Written by Louise Borden and Mary Kay Kroeger and Illustrated by Teresa Flavin
Bessie became the first African-American to earn a pilot's license.


5) Shirley Ann Jackson (part of the My Itty-Bitty Bio series)
Written by Virginia Loh-Hagan
This book examines the life of physicist Shirley Ann Jackson, a National Medal of Science recipient for Physical Science.

6) Sweet Dreams Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor 
Written by Vivian Kirkfield and Illustrated by Chris Ewald
The story of Sarah B. Goode, one of the first African-American women to get a US patent.


7) The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague (coming Fall 2018)
Written by Julia Finely Mosca and Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Raye Montague worked as a mathematician for the US Navy and forever changed the design of ships.

More books that mention WoC in STEM:

1) Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
Written by Vashti Harrison
Although this book covers women in professions outside of STEM,  Alice Ball, a chemist who performed research on Leprosy, a well as Bessie Coleman and Katherine Johnson, are highlighted in the book.

2) Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World
Written by Rachel Ignotofsky
And although this book covers white women and women of color in various STEM fields, NASA mathematician and computer scientist Annie Easley and psychologist Mamie Phillips Clark, who performed the Doll Experiment (which lead to proof that segregation damaged children), are featured in the book.


I wonder without Mamie Phillips Clark's research if authors today would even be thinking about representing children of color in their books. And speaking of books that represent children of color, 2 fiction picture books that have girls of color as the main character are How to Code a Sand Castle and Ada Twist, Scientist.  Both are great fiction picture books to check out in addition to the non-fiction books listed above.  Happy reading everybody!

11/7/17- Every Once In Awhile, I Like My Job (Part 1)

About a week ago, I attended an engineering conference.  I attend this conference every year: it always reinvigorates me about engineering.  This year, I was selected to present at one of the sessions, and to my surprise, my company paid for me to go.  This is the first time in over a decade that they sponsored me, despite the facts that I've been attending this conference since I started working (for them), and I've been a speaker in the past.

Presenting on "Beautiful Oops!"

Of course, there were strings attached with having the company pay for me, such as recruiting at my company's career fair booth.  I missed out on attending other sessions at the conference all to pretend that it's a great place to work. Okay, it really is if you're an intern or a fresh out (of college), but for mid-career people, the great place to work becomes highly questionable.  Thankfully, I talked mostly to college students (there was one mid-level person that approached me, but an engineering manager stepped in; saved by the manager, phew). I absolutely enjoy engaging with the youngins.

Sure, we talked about my company, but mostly I got to talk about engineering with them.  There are some really impressive engineering students out there, so it's easy for me to roll my eyes at other "old people" when they say they're worried about the future and who's going to be running it ("get off my lawn!").  These "old people" just aren't hanging out with the right crowd.  They don't see what I got to see at this conference-- the smart, capable engineers of tomorrow (so "old people" hang out more at engineering recruiting events, and you'll be less worried).

Another other great part about this gig was seeing and spending time with my colleagues/friends from various companies.  We got to BAW (shark about work) with each other and call it networking.  Hearing my colleagues/friends stories about work gives me comfort and knowledge that I'm not alone.  Also, the ones that have reached the 20+ years that makes me think that I can reach that benchmark too.  Of course, I may have to change companies to make it to 20 years. 😆

My presentation was another highlight of the conference.  My presentation is based off Barney Saltzberg's picture book Beautiful Oops!  Beautiful Oops! is about helping children realize that a mistake is not the end of the world. When they make a mistake, they should think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful: a beautiful oops.  The book's lesson also applies to engineering. Many engineering innovations and scientific discoveries came about by accident (mistake): Post-It Notes, Penicillin, Cornflakes, Velcro, Anesthesia, etc. 

Sometimes as engineers, we get a little risk adverse, afraid to make a mistake or suggest the wrong solution. I hope that the engineers who attended my presentation took away that even if they make a mistake at work, that perhaps they can make something beautiful out of it (a lesson learned, an innovation, and so on).  Plus, I love it when my engineering career comes together with my children's author career meets my mom career: thank you "Beautiful Oops" for that. Also, thanks for the reminder that if I make or create something in writing or engineering, and I make a mistake while doing so, there's the possibility that I can still turn it into something beautiful. 

So every once in awhile, I like my current (engineering) job. 

7/11/17- Reading List 3: Non-Fiction Books for Adults

As a child, I read a lot during summer break.  A lot.  I'd go to the public library and check out a stack of 12 books at a time, and a couple of weeks later, turn those 12 in for a new stack. Call me a nerd if you must, that word is a compliment to me (as an adult), but I wasn't a bored child during the summer.  That's for sure.

So to me, summer time equals the perfect time for reading. Really, any time you can squeeze in a book as a busy adult is a good time, but summer for me means it's the perfect time to squeeze in lots of reading.  And that's why this reading list is dedicated to us adults (past reading lists for preschoolers to 2nd graders and teens).  Let's squeeze in sometime to read, follow adults!

1) "Why Not Me?" by Mindy Kaling

First, it's funny and pretty quick to read.  I read it a few years ago, and then suggested it to a book club last summer-- I was re-reading it for the summer and started sharing excerpts with Bobby, and he thought those excerpts were so funny, that he asked if we could read Mindy's book together.  Second, this book has some good career advice in it.  Also, if you're in an industry where there's an over representation of a certain demographic, this book may provide comfort (it did for me).

2) "It's Not Rocket Science" by Mary Spio

Mary is a satellite engineer turned entrepreneur, so of course I wanted to read this book (a female engineer whose crushing it, shark yes!).  This book is really about how to become entrepreneur, but Mary does share some of her own personal story. She was an immigrant from Ghana and she became on engineer with patents, which lead to her starting her own company.  Hearing her story was the part I liked best and very inspiring.  Her entrepreneurial and changing-the-game career advice is on the optimistic side, so I think this a good read to give yourself a boost if you're down in the dumps about your career.  Sometimes we just need the positive message. 

3) "Yes, Please" by Amy Poehler

This book made me laugh and cry so hard.  Amy talks about everything from her childhood, to just starting out in the comedy business, to marriage, kids, and divorce, to working in a male dominated field, and to moon hunting (you'll have to read the book to find out what that is).  And she wrote it all in a way that made me relate and empathize with everything, even though I've never done stand-up, worked for SNL, or been married to Will Arnett.  I have enjoyed all the books on this list, but if you forced me to pick just one for you to read, "Yes, Please" is the one I'd recommend.

4) "Lean In" by Nell Scovell and Sheryl Sandberg

There's a lot commentary on this book- a lot of its bad, but a lot of its good.  While I didn't agree with everything the authors wrote in this book, it is still a good book for both men and women to read to start to understand the issues working women have.   

5) "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

I've already written a review of Hidden Figures, which you can read here, but its a great book to read during the summer and to read in intervals.  If you've seen the movie and found the movie inspiring, you will also find this book uplifting.  I also enjoyed reading about the Civil Rights movement and wars that were happening in parallel to Katherine, Dorothy and Mary.

6) Bossypants by Tina Fey

Again, a really funny book.  And again, Bobby and I read it together and laughed much at Tina's words.  In Tina's book, the career advice isn't so straight forward as Mindy's or Amy's.  If I remember correctly, Tina writes somewhere in the book that she doesn't want to give straight out career advice (because each of us have unique situations or something along those lines), so it's kind of more just work stories. Those work stories are very entertaining though, and you might even find yourself going, yep I've had one of those moments.  

That's it for this list-- I'll have more adult, teen, and kid reading list soon enough.  And since you're smart, you recognized the pattern here for this list: autobiography/biography or person sharing career journey/career advice and all written by women.  If you have fiction book recommendations or other career and biography book recommendations (written by both women and men), then please share these recommendations in the comments!  I'm always looking for a new book to read.  Happy summer reading everyone! 

6/14/17- The Women Whose Shoulders I Stand On

I finally finished reading the book "Hidden Figures" (by Margot Lee Shetterly in case you didn't know).  I started reading the book back in March; it took me a long time to finish.  It's not because the book isn't great; it is.  It's not because I didn't like Mary, Dorthy, and Katherine; I immensely admire them. It's not because I thought the writing awful; I though Margot had perfect prose for a historical narrative book. It's not because I found a historical narrative book boring; I was deeply fascinated by the history.

It's because I have about 30 minutes a day for reading (that's a lot for some working parents, I know, be jealous). And sometimes I read op-ed or news articles instead of books.  And sometimes I read things on Facebook or Twitter and get really annoyed and wished I had read the next chapter in "Hidden Figures" instead.  If you are like me, and don't have much time, books like "Hidden Figures" are perfect for you.  I could read one chapter, and if it was many days later until I could read the next chapter, I didn't feel lost at what the plot was. I think it's also a reason I liked Mindy Kaling's "Why Not Me?" and Amy Poehler's "Yes, Please."  If I couldn't come back to the book for a few days, no problem.  I wasn't going to loose my place or forget what had happened in the plot.

But I digress.  If you've seen the movie, "Hidden Figures," then I highly recommend you read the book.  If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend you read the book.  Another reason I really liked the book is that it was a historical narrative.  The movie really focused on the 3 women, Mary, Dorthy, and Katherine, and had dialogue between people and Hollywood suspense (check the numbers as count down happens! Yeah, that didn't happen in real life; it was at least 3 days prior to the space flight). The book does focus on these 3 awesome women, but more in a bibliography way (remember reading and writing those in elementary school?) where you get this sequential telling of their lives with some emotional insight and direct quotes from them (no dialogue).  

You also get a bibliography of what is happening at NACA/NASA--their testing planes during wartime, adhering to presidential employment orders to hire people of color, and other chronological order information.  You also get what is happening in the country's history (USA)-- Rosa Park's refusal to move to the back of the bus, Dr. King's "I Have a Dream," Virginia's stupid and sickly stubbornness to integrate schools. I enjoyed learning about the background of NASA and the USA, the good and the bad. 

There's definite low points (some shark stuff the USA did) in the integrated stories of these women, NASA, and, the USA, but it is a story of  inspiration.  As Margot puts it "It's a story of hope, that even among some of our country's harshest realities-legalized segregation, racial discrimination- there is evidence of the triumph of meritocracy, that each of us should be allowed to rise as far as our talent and hard work can take us."

I do not understand what it was like to be a black, female engineer back in the 1950s and 1960s, nor do I fully understand what it is like to day to be a black, female engineer. I do have empathy, and that empathy fills me with a hope-- minorities, females, minority females will be allowed to rise as far as their talent and hard work can take them.  I promise to pay forward the benefits that I have reaped for standing on the shoulders of these women, Mary, Dorthy, Katherine, and all the female engineers who came before.  My accomplishments are in part because I stand on your very strong shoulders. Sincerely thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

5/18/17- The Mentors

A few weeks ago I interviewed my former manager as part of a series I'm writing for STEMedia.   It was a little surreal to be asking her questions about how she became an engineer, her past life (she was a dairy farmer for 13 years before studying engineering), advice for others studying STEM disciplines and so on.  She probably doesn't know this, but I've long considered her a mentor.  I never formally asked her to mentor me-- I just watched her outstanding ability as a manager, and hoped that one day when I was a manager, that I'd be able to follow her example.

She really cares about her employees and their careers/career happiness. She was the only manager I've ever felt I could be completely honest with and that she'd really listen to me. Even people who didn't report to her sought her confidence and advice.  She also made work fun-- a Halloween party with a Thriller flash mob dance is not something too many managers would coordinate.  That's the kind of manager I'd like to be. I probably won't have the opportunity at my current work place to be a manager, but one day I won't be there, and at the new place, if I'm responsible for people's careers, I'm totally modeling my management style after her.

She also has a pretty amazing and inspiring story of how she became an engineer, reinforcing my belief that engineers come for anywhere, and a child just needs to know that the opportunity exists for them.  Maybe you're curious now about her story, and for that you'll just have to wait for the STEMedia piece to come out. That's what writer's call a hook. :)

STEMedia already has one of the interviews I did up on their website, and the person I interviewed for that story is also a mentor.   I also don't think she knows that, but I totally look up to her as well. She's the person that I daydream and scheme with, and part of why I've dabbled in children's books. We both want to encourage and inspire girls in STEM.  In face, she started her own company to inspire girls, particularly minority girls, in STEM, and I really admire her for taking that chance. Starting your own company while still working as an engineer is pretty awesome (to me).  How could I not look up to this person?  And her story is totally already up on STEMedia, so I encourage you to check it out.

Of course there's many more people in engineering that I admire, and you'll soon be reading about them. Most likely on STEMedia, but maybe also here on my blog.  On the days I feel like shark (from the RA, annoying workplace, and such), I forget some of my blessings.  Having great mentors is a blessing, and I'm so thankful to these women for teaching me so much.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Tell me who your mentors are and why you admire them in the comments!
Here's the link to STEMedia: http://stemedia.org/

4/5/16- The Trend

Want to know the latest trend this spring?  Just look at social media feeds and other news sources, and you'll discover that what is being talked about over and over again is Women in STEM.  In particularly, the lack of females in Computer Science and Engineering (sorry Medical Science, but you seem to have close to the 50/50 ratio that CS and engineering only dreams of, so we won't really talk about you).  You'll hear stats like 18% of CS workers are women, 10% of engineers are female, etc.  And that it's been this low for decades.  And the different approaches to get more women in tech/engineering. And all the horrible things women in tech/engineering have to put up with/overcome.

As an advocate for women in engineering (and to extend the outreach branch a little more, CS/tech), I'm excited there's so much dialogue about the issue and how can we change the industry to be 50/50 and equal.  Yay for people talking about it, and it being everywhere!  But what is the cost of it being trendy, I wonder?  When will this trend end?  Is it just a fade? All fades/trends seem to end. Or best case scenario, it's cyclical, and Women in STEM will be a popular topic again in 10 years.

Also it's time for a true confession (like in Real World; just image me in my confession booth).  I really dislike that it's popular right now to be a woman in engineering/tech.  In general, tech is the cool; it's in, it's hip (whatever the kids on Real World 50 are saying these days).  The rebel in me enjoyed being an engineer (in part) because it was not cool. It was counter-culture; now it's popular culture.

It is also giving me a big ego.  I'm so cool and awesome and special because I'm an engineer. It's what everyone is talking about and what everyone wants or wishes to be (in my skewed Real World view).  In a way it is like being a reality star celebrity; hot one minute, and probably forgotten in the next fifteen minutes (when the next social cause comes along).

Now that I've done my confession, I'll get over my dislike and ego trip of being a trend because my care and passion to get more women in the industry outweighs my need to stand out, to be a rebel.  I'm sure some of you will be receptive to how I feel (maybe even some of you also dislike how popular it is), and I'm sure some of you will be upset (and wish I wasn't an advocate because how could an advocate wish for people to stop making tech cool?).

The question facing this trend then, is how to make sure that the topic of Women in STEM doesn't just fade into the background?  I'm not sure I really have that answer, but here's my hope. Hopefully, the advocates from before it was trendy, and the advocates who are jumping on this bandwagon (may they never get off the wagon), keep up their work to recruit and retain women in the fields of STEM. Even when the topic is not cool anymore.

For a great op-ed on the trend, check out Amy's editorial on US News:
Why Do We Need STEM Toys for Girls?

And then kind of related, online discussion about "pink STEM toys":
http://mashable.com/2016/01/24/coding-girls-pink/#aE9CM7E3PEqU
http://pigtailpalsblog.com/2013/11/stop-using-stereotypes-to-sell-stem-to-girls/#.VwPzXaQrLIV