It’s International Women in Engineering Day (INWED23) today and to bring awareness to the topic Student Circuit was thrilled to have the opportunity to talk to Sarah Vickstrom about her engineering journey.
Vickstrom attends the University of Central Florida where she is majoring in mechanical engineering. Now in her final year of studies, she’s also now on an internship at Boeing as a systems engineer where she works with her team to develop new products and innovative ideas.
Her journey as an engineering student
Above all, Vickstrom touted that the challenge has been one of the biggest thrills of her course: “I really enjoy the challenge, it keeps me on my toes and has allowed me to create great connections within the industry – especially with other women in engineering.” Whilst it has certainly been a great challenge for her from an education perspective, it also came with a unique set of challenges given the male-dominated nature of the industry she has joined.
“It was certainly daunting at the start, joining a class with almost 40 males and being one of only two females on the course,” says Vickstrom. “It can feel intimidating and also somewhat disappointing to not see yourself better represented in your industry,” she continued. But these challenges were par for the course for Vickstrom, and didn’t slow her down – in fact, she would argue that it really helped her find a place during her studies. “I knew going into it what I was heading into, you know, being ‘the only woman in the room.’ It’s something you have to deal with,” notes Vickstrom.
Being a part of a minority group in an industry meant solidarity with fellow women in STEM was key. “It’s always going to be easier to relate and talk to women in your same predicament when compared to the general consensus, even down to the simple things like group work or studying,” says Vickstrom – and this is precisely what she did. A massive part of her journey was joining and climbing the ranks of the Society of Women Engineers at her campus in Florida. “It’s great to see women in solidarity with each other, discussing work, making friends, finding opportunities, and having one another’s backs. To any young aspiring women out there I highly recommended getting involved with their equivalent society or groups, or pushing for them,” says Vickstrom. Vickstrom now sits on the board of the Society of Women Engineers at her campus and is proud to be a part of such an important society.
Now at her internship with Boeing, Vickstrom is enjoying her time in the industry, working on projects she is passionate about and learning as she works. This isn’t her first internship, and in regard to them, she had this to say: “The internships have been highly supportive and are more than excited to have fresh minds and more diverse minds on the teams. Many engineering firms out there are looking more and more to bring in women and other more divergent employees to bring new approaches to the industry.” For her, it’s been a dream – and something she recommends to other women joining the industry.
Words of advice
Above all else, Vickstrom pushed this message: “If it’s something you’re passionate about, go for it, have faith in yourself.
“Go out and make connections with fellow women in engineering, without them I would be (almost) lost!
“It’s been my life goal, and I wouldn’t trade it for any other path. It’s amazing to be able to finally say; ‘Yes, I am an engineer.’”
Growing up in Florida and seeing the space launches was a massive part of Vickstrom’s childhood, and now getting to work in the aerospace sector has been a full-circle dream for her. She is positive that her internship will transfer into a job offer come the end of her studies and her career in engineering can take off from there. She hopes that her story can inspire even a single person into following their dream like she did.
