July 2001

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GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 2, 2001

Q: How many of the GEM-SET mentors entered college with a career plan? Did you set concrete career goals in high school or college? Did you achieve them or did they change along the way?

A: FROM MENTOR JANET DIANDA at Lucent
It is ideal to enter college with a plan, as long as you stay flexible and allow for new possibilities and new interests to change that plan! In high school, I enjoyed physics, and my physics teacher encouraged me to consider a career as an electrical engineer. I
didn't know any electrical engineers, and I really didn't know how to become an
engineer. I talked with my high school guidance counselor. She noticed that
I had only taken math through Algebra II (I hadn't had Trigonometry or Calculus).
She encouraged me to become a Spanish teacher instead. So I went to college and
got a degree in Secondary Education, to teach Spanish and French. Then I got
married and had a child, and became a housewife.

One day, my husband showed me a computer program he had written and was testing. I asked him what the program was supposed to do, then entered test data which broke his program! He was upset, and ran off to fix his program, but I was hooked! It was like a puzzle, and I wanted to write programs to solve puzzles! I looked up in my old college catalogue what courses were required to get a degree in Computer Science - oh, no! It required Trigonometry and a year of Calculus. That had been my show stopper before! I began taking math classes at night and on the weekends at a local community college - and I loved it! I also took some data processing classes, and got an Associates degree in math and data processing.

AT&T Bell Labs was hiring, so I got hired in at their lowest technical position. My boss let
me take some computer classes at Illinois Institute of Technology, during my working hours. After I had taken a few prerequisite courses, they allowed me to enter their Master's Degree
program for Computer Science. I continued to work and take classes part-time. I enjoyed my
computer classes, and enjoyed helping other students debug their programs, too. Four years later, I got a Master of Science degree in Computer Science, and a big promotion at work!

The moral of my story: at first, I allowed roadblocks to get in my way, such as the fact that I hadn't taken Trigonometry and Calculus. If I could do my life over, I would have spent my freshman year in college taking these math classes, to get caught up with where I
needed to be. Then I would have pursued my dream of being an electrical engineer. So I would have been one year older when I finally graduated. So what?
Not everyone finishes their coursework in four years - it's okay to be flexible, and to be different. My story has a happy ending, though. I love computer science, and I love the challenging work I do at Lucent (formerly AT&T). So follow your dreams, but allow your dreams to change as you grow and learn. Also, be curious about how people earn their livings - ask them what they do all day, what they like about their work. When I was in
high school, I thought that Computer Science work was about setting up computer machines, doing mechanical things. I didn't know about writing computer programs,
or working on a team to solve problems together. Once I saw what the work was really about, I knew that I wanted to do it! Also, seek out mentors in the field that
you want to pursue. If I would have known an electrical engineer in high school, I could have asked her/him what their work was like, what their college courses were like,
how they found a job, etc., and had some support to follow my dream.
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FROM MENTOR LISA FITZGERALD at Walgreen Co.
I was interested in studying for a Computer Science degree from the time I started High School. I thought I entered college with a plan, but when I graduated I realized that I wasn't prepared. I had trouble getting a job because my knowledge was broad and general. I chose a University based on the fact my grandfather had gone there, instead of based on their
Computer Science department. My courses gave me a general background of Computers, but nothing specific enough to really start a career in a particular area. I hate to look at College as job training, but that is really what it has to be, in the modern world.
I suggest students really study up on jobs that relate to their interest before choosing a College. If you know anyone who works in the field you are interested in, talk to them. As another mentor said, do research at the library, and even on the Web. Compare several
schools before choosing. If you aren't sure what you want to major in, begin by
going to a Community College. Most Universities take credits from from Community Colleges. This way you can save money, and complete many core curriculum,
classes while still deciding what you want to major in.
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FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON at Lucent
I entered college with a plan to teach elementary education. I went to two
years at a junior college following the curriculum for El Ed. I also spent
summers as a Park leader in the local park district. In doing so, I realized
that I really did NOT want to teach! I hated disciplining children and realized
that this would be a big part of my days. SOOO, I thought about what subjects I
enjoyed in school.
The subject I enjoyed most was Fortran. I changed my major to Computer Science
and transferred to a 4-year college to finish my degree. Luckily, I didn't have
to take extra classes because I was still in the college of Liberal Arts.
I do think that having a plan as you enter college is a great idea. But, if you
still haven't found that special talent, don't be afraid to try different
courses. AND, please do not be afraid to change your major. It's better to do
it before you get that degree, get a job and realize that you should have gone
for something else.
Follow your dreams. Don't base everything on how much money you'll make or what
everyone else thinks you should do. If your love is art, find a way to make art
a part of your daily job.
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FROM MENTOR MARY JO HAYES at Patrick Engineering

I entered college with a pretty specific plan. But that is also very much
my personality, I am absolutely a planner and organizer. I knew that I
wanted to do engineering and that I wanted to be involved in an
environmental field. I jumped into the freshman year engineering curricula
and then figured out during that time which engineering field I was most
interested. I started out in environmental engineering, but later switched
to civil. I found out that geology, as interesting as I found it, was not a
strong suit. Civil gave me a broad range of things to do when I graduated
and still remain in an environmental field. Today I am a water resource
engineer, which means I play with water. Stormwater, rivers, and ditches
are my specialty.
I too had many friends who switched majors often. I don't find anything
wrong with this, better to switch than be unhappy with what you are doing.
But these switches need some thought, such as considering what you will do
with this degree and if you can see yourself doing it for the next 10 years
at least. Research the things that interest you and make a plan from there.
Deviate from the plan when you need to, don't hold yourself to it if you
don't like what you are doing. But always put some consideration into these
choices.
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FROM MENTOR LAURA DUNCAN at Regis Technologies
I think I talked about this before, but it's worth repeating. I didn't ever have a really firm career
plan in mind. But what I DID have was a lot of curiosity. So I took all the academic classes in high school, and that meant I was ready for anything I might have wanted to study in college. It can be harder and take longer if you change your mind midcourse. That's better than sticking with a subject you don't like and won't enjoy doing as a career later just because it's in your longterm plan. College is about exploring what you really want to be. It's where premeds decide they would rather study English Lit, and political science
majors switch to chemistry (like I did). It helps if you can do relevant volunteer work or job-shadowing to get a sense if a certain profession is something you would REALLY like. Even so, you never know for sure until you're in the thick of it, collecting a paycheck.
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FROM MENTOR JOAN SCHESKE at Ford
My plans evolved during high school, interestingly getting more technical at each change. Started high school wanting to pursue a career in art or interior design, then architecture, then engineering. By the time I started college, I was pretty much set on engineering. A few things happened along the way to change my goals. Took drafting because I liked to draw. After having some drafting and math classes, and realizing that I had a knack for those fields and a real interest, I thought maybe I'd be an architect. After hearing teachers tell me I should look into engineering and was in a 2 week government program, called UNITE, held a local university to help minorities and women learn more about engineering, I was in. I'd recommend looking around, seeing what's out there and pairing it with what you personally enjoy doing.
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FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN at Lucent
Some people just don't know what they want to do when they get out of high school. If you're one of these people, don't panic, it happens. One good solution is to attend a local junior college so you don't burn up tons of money while making up your mind. You can finish
your basic, general education requirements then move to a university to specialize on your chosen field. I do not recommend getting a job and thinking you'll go to college later. It just gets tougher as you get older, get used to the income, and take on
additional responsibilities.Try to be one of the people that has a plan by exploring lots of
different fields in junior high and high school. Walk into the counselor's office and talk about your likes and dislikes. Be sure you take a vocational aptitude test that helps identify your
strengths and interests. If it isn't offered to you, ask for it. As I said in a earlier mail, I was so lucky to find my ideal career in computer programming. It was an accident -- I took a comp
sci class just to fill a hole in my schedule. What a thrill to fall in love with a job!
One of my standard speeches that I give to teenagers is: there are plenty of jobs that pay very well that don't require a college education BUT very few of them are jobs that you will enjoy doing every day for the rest of your life. Going to college probably will increase your wages and more importantly, will more likely lead you to a job that you will be satisfied in for a long time.
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FROM MENTOR JUDY McGOOGAN at Lucent
Planning is something I've always done, but I've learned over time that your "Life Plan" needs to be a pretty flexible structure!!
I took a summer science seminar when I was in high school. That exposed
me to computers and bio-statistics, so I decided I wanted to be a
research scientist. I planned to get an undergrad in Math with all the computer
courses I could take - and then go to Med School. When I was in college,
I was on a really tight budget, so I carefully perused the college catalog,
and looked at the pre-reqs for getting into med school. I figured out
that by testing out of some classes, I could get 20 hours of college
credit, and then I worked out a schedule that allowed me to graduate from
college in 3 years instead of 4. I did just that, and graduated with all the
pre-reqs to get into Med School, but in the meantime I had fallen in
love with a wonderful man, and we decided to get married.
This became my first lesson in flexibility - as I re-planned my life
around commitments he had made to enter the Navy when he graduated. Med
School simply wouldn't work then, so instead of a career in research, mine
would be a career using my Computer Science skills in industry instead
of medicine! One of the greatest things about choosing a career in
engineering or computer science is that it provides you with skills that are useful
in many fields. I've always liked the variety of opportunities I've had
as a result.
There have been many times since then when my plans have changed, but I
still value planning. My advice is to begin each re-plan with a careful look
at what your values are, to examine the alternatives you have, to write
down the pros and cons of each choice, and then to make a decision and
enthusiastically follow that path - until the next fork in the road!
As long as you make choices based on your core values, you'll know the
decisions you make are the right ones!
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FROM MENTOR JULIA HOCHBERG at Motorola
While attending a private high school with heavy liberal
arts leanings, I had no opportunities for student engineering projects
or mentoring programs. Yet, in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to
study mechanical engineering in college because my goal was to work for
NASA and I thought an engineering degree was the best way to get there.
I had gone to Space Camp programs, learned a lot about NASA, and toyed
in my dad's machine shop enough to think it really could be fun. No
doubt, I got strange looks from my college counselor when I relayed this
information to her. My math and science grades were okay but not top
notch. Many of my friends weren't as sure what they were interested in
studying at college. Most liberal arts colleges allow some freedom and
don't force a declaration of a major for a year or two (which is exactly
the form they followed). However, if you are even remotely interested
in engineering or science, you have to know when you start applying
senior year so you select colleges that have programs you are interested
in. The next decision, which I urge you all to consider very carefully,
is what kind of school you apply to. Many of my current coworkers come
from the highest ranked and the largest engineering schools in the
country. I think that they all received and apply extraordinary
engineering knowledge and skills, however not one of them can share the
personal stories I have from a city school with a small engineering
program (The George Washington University, Washington, DC). Countless
times I had dinner with our Dean of Engineering to discuss life, school
projects, the engineering curriculum, etc.; with 15-20 students in my
mechanical engineering classes we all received individual attention from
the professors and there was no standing in line; all my professors knew
my name throughout all 4 years; bureaucratic tape was cut to a minimum
when all the Deans knew me and I needed their signatures for special
exceptions (graduate classes counting as undergrad credit, summer
school, university projects, student engineering government). In
addition, I took advantage of some amazing experiences in DC including a
year at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center working on a satellite and the
unusual opportunity of seeing how engineering interacts with society,
public policy and government funding through internships at both The
White House and Capitol Hill. By all means this situation is not right
for everyone and has some drawbacks, but passing up the prestige of a
top notch diploma for a smaller, more valuable setting prepared me very
well for my future.
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New Question for the High School Students: Have you ever changed career goals? Why? Who or what influenced your decision?

END
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 3, 2001
(Note: There will be no daily digest on July 4th. However, keep in mind that you can post to GEM-SET@uic.edu anytime, including holidays. All postings from July 4th will appear in the July 5th daily digest.)

New Question for the High School Students: Have you ever changed career goals? Why? Who or what influenced your decision?
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GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 5, 2001

Q: Have you ever changed career goals? Why? Who or what influenced your decision?

A: From High School Student Melissa M. in Michigan
Before I knew what engineering was, I changed my career goals quite often.
But now that I know what engineering is, I have not changed my goal of
becoming an engineer. The one thing that has changed is the area of=20
engineering that I want to specialize in. At first I wanted to be a=20
mechanical engineer then a computer engineer then an environmental engineer
and I am still changing because they all seem so interesting and seem like
things I could do. One of my teachers, Mrs.Schrimsher, influenced my decision
to go into engineering. She has informed me of many of the summer engineering
programs that I have been involved in. She has always been supportive of
my interest in engineering and I appreciate it very much. One other woman that
influenced my decision was my mother. She is not an engineer but she has
fostered my love of mathematics and science.

Q: How many of the GEM-SET mentors entered college with a career plan? Did
you set concrete career goals in high school or college? Did you achieve
them or did they change along the way?

A: From Mentor Heather Sullivan at DaimlerChrysler
Response to question of whether or not I entered college with a plan: NO!
When I was in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career.
My only work experiences had been as a babysitter, waitress, and salesperson
in a clothing store. I knew I didn't want to continue in any of those lines
of work!
The college counselors at my high school suggested that since I had A's in my
math and science courses, I should consider engineering as a career. My Dad
was an Engineer, and I always thought he was a little "geeky", but I didn't
have any better ideas, so I decided to enter the College of Engineering at
the University of Michigan. Once I was there, I did well in those classes,
so I kept going. My parents agreed to pay for four years of college, but if
it took me longer to graduate, I would have to start paying. With this
incentive, I decided not to explore different degree possibilities, and I
completed my mechanical engineering degree in four years.
I enjoyed the biomechanical engineering subject area, so I decided that I'd
like to pursue a job in this area. Once I researched the industry, I decided
that I'd like to design artificial joints, but I needed a master's degree to
get a better position. Therefore, I stayed in school, and became a Teaching
Assistant to pay the bills. Two years later, I had my mechanical engineering
master's degree and was ready to find a job.
While I was getting my master's degree, I also decided to get married, and my
fianc=E9 worked at Chrysler, so my job search was limited to the Detroit area.
I decided to apply my biomechanical engineering degree to the automotive
safety area. I went to work for Ford as an Occupant Safety Analyst. Since
then, I have strayed from the safety area to other areas in the automotive
industry. I also went back to school to earn an MBA. I recently had my
second child, and am working part time for DaimlerChrysler.
As you can see, I never had much of a plan ahead of time!! My plans continue
to change, but I've enjoyed the ride so far. I don't necessarily recommend
going through life without a plan, but I do think it's good to be flexible.
It's pretty hard to plan your whole life out when you're only 17 years old!

A: From Mentor Molly Williams at the College of Engineering and Applied
Sciences, Western Michigan University
Here are a few more comments on career planning.
It's certainly a good idea to have goals and career plans.
However, it's equally important to keep your eyes and ears open and=20
to expect to change those plans regularly. Keep gathering
information and stay alert for opportunities. It's easy for those
of us who have established careers to speak authoritatively about
having a goal and making plans to achieve it. But the truth is that=20
most of us took many detours while wandering along on our own paths.
For instance, I picked my graduate school based on its late
application deadline! And I "selected" my area of specialization
among math/science/engineering sub-disciplines by deferring the
decision for as long as possible. When you do that, you end up with=20
a broad base of science and engineering, but less specialization
than if you had picked a specific field early and stuck with it.
You can gather information on career choices many ways, including
participation in career days, discussion groups, seminars, and
accessing literature and outreach information from professional
societies. Two particularly good websites are <FONT= color = '3D"#0000FF"'www.eweek.org (an
Engineers Week information site operated by National Society of
Professional Engineers; it has lots of links and basic information
on fields in engineering) and <FONT= color = '3D"#0000FF"'www.nasa.gov/women (the Women of NASA
site with short biographies and job descriptions of women scientists
and engineers in the space program). Also, many professional
science and engineering societies have public information sections
on their main websites. There's no shortage of information.

A. From Moderator: Beaulah Vaz, IIT/Women's Center
It is good to have a definite plan, but I think there should always be some
room for flexibility. I entered college thinking that I would pursue a medical
career because I wanted to reach out to people. However, due to the high
costs of medical school in India, I decided to pursue a degree in chemistry,
with the hope that some day I would be able to work in a mission program.
I am currently looking into the various possibilities for missionary work
in third world countries, and will probably leave to do a three-year mission
term in the next couple of years. I will probably be a science teacher to
children in some village.
So, This way I will be able to pursue my life long dream of working with
people and reaching out to those in need. Although it isn=92t as a doctor,
it still doesn=92t diminish the value of the job. I guess what I am just trying
to say is that goals sometimes change along the way, and that=92s ok.=20

END

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GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 6, 2001

Q: From your point of view, what is the most exciting scientific development in your current field?

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GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 9, 2001

Q: From your point of view, what is the most exciting scientific development in your current field?

A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON at Lucent Technologies
I am in Wireless Telecommunications Development. Even though, wireless is
somewhat old technology, it is evolving rapidly. Some people today are even
replacing their regular phone service with wireless!! It has become that
reliable! The latest development is the standard, UMTS (Universal Mobile
Telecommunications Services) which is a standard that will be used in cellular
communications throughout Europe. It's exciting for me to be part of a product
development that is so important globally.

A: FROM MENTOR MOLLY WILLIAMS at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Western Michigan University
My own field is Tribology - the science of friction, lubrication,
and wear. It is a relatively new field, combining expertise from a
variety of other disciplines. An encouraging development is the
degree to which researchers are able to approach the same kinds of
problems from different perspectives. There are physicists who look
at how hard you have to push to make a single atom move around on a
perfectly flat surface. Chemists look at how lubricant molecules
interact with solid surfaces. Mechanical engineers study fluid and
solid mechanics and heat transfer at sliding surfaces. Materials
scientists study how to make materials harder, stronger, and more
wear resistant. The interesting thing is that all these people come
with very different practical problems to solve. For example, 1.
how to make reliable magnetic hard discs for computer data storage;
2. how to make automobile engines, transmissions, and other kinds of
machinery last for a long time; 3. how to make artificial joints or
dental materials for the human body. Obviously, these are very
different situations. But the problems have enough common features
that scientists and engineers can work together to solve them. We
are approaching a better understanding of what friction is, and we
are using that knowledge to make increasingly reliable devices in
information technology, medicine, transportation, and manufacturing.

A: FROM MENTOR JOAN SCHESKE at Ford Motor Company
There are many exciting developments in vehicle crash safety. Designing vehicles to minimize intrusion in high speed frontal and offset crash events. Side air bags and curtains for side impact and roll-over. Designing vehicles to protect people from soft tissue or whiplash injuries in low speed rear impacts, while also designing to minimize injury in high speed rear events. Designing vehicles to better secure child seats and to also recognize the presence of small child. Designing products to protect occupants of all sizes and ages.

END

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GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 10, 2001

Q: From your point of view, what is the most exciting scientific
development in your current field?

A. FROM MENTOR Maureen McGrath at Smartforce
The field of e-Learning has opened up many new possibilities for
training. I've seen it take off and grow rapidly. It allows people to
learn many different subjects just by using the internet any time, any
where. Much of the instruction is supplemented by mentors who can answer
questions and provide the daily nudges to students to keep them going. The
training has very realistic simulations and hand-on exercises so students
can practice the skills they are learning. In technical computer skills,
labs are available where students can practice configuring networks,
upgrading software and hardware without working on something that can
screw up! The emergence of on-line meetings where people can attend
presentations and workshops from their own desk, control can be passed
among participants and applications can be demonstrated, is another very
impressive feature which can allow the collaboration you would usually
have to be in a classroom to experience. The e-Learning concept allows
people to train on their own time - not be held to a schedule of when
courses are taught. There is also no need to travel to the classroom when
you can bring the training to you! I find it really interesting and the
evolution continues!

A: FROM STUDENT Elizabeth C. of Girl Scouts of DuPage
Right now I am not in a current field but if I [were] a vet [the most exciting scientific development] would be the machines that help out the animals.

Q: FROM STUDENT ALYSSA C. of Girl Scouts of Chicago
From your point of view what is the hardest part of your job when working
with computers?

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GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 11, 2001

Q: FROM STUDENT ALYSSA C. of Girl Scouts of Chicago
From your point of view what is the hardest part of your job when working
with computers?

A: FROM MENTOR LISA FITZGERALD at Walgreen Co.
The hardest part of my job working with computers is
when we have unexpected problems. Maybe its a
software bug, or a hardware problem. Sometimes you
run into a problem that no one else has reported
before, so there is no ready to apply solution. At
first this seems hard, it can even be scary if its a
critical system for your company. You search all of
your available resources and talk to anyone who may
have experienced this before. Finally you find the
solution, and that is where it gets exciting. You
realize that you really accomplished something. You
made something work correctly again. There is a clear
result from all of your time and effort. This is one
of the most exciting parts of the job. You can always
learn commands that instruct the computer to do
exactly what you want it to do, but that gets boring
after awhile. You need a challenge once in awhile.
The second hardest part is keeping up with all of
the changes and advancements in software and hardware.
Every new release is accompanied by a list of new
commands and new ways of doing things. Often times
you get used to doing things one way, just because
there wasn't a better way when you first started. A
later release may have a better way, which you have to
learn and get used to using. Its easy to fear change
especially when all of the bugs aren't worked out in
the new features. Despite that you must continue to
learn and more forward. From a distance computers
might seem hard, but they were created by human
beings, just like you.

A: FROM MENTOR LIESE DALLBAUMAN at Honeywell Intl.
I think this is actually at least two questions. 'Using computers' could
mean programming; it could also mean using application software that other
people have written. For me, especially when I was first learning to
program, the hardest part was remembering that the computer would do
*exactly* what I told it to do -- it didn't know what I meant for it to do,
it only knew what I typed in. Eventually, I learned to think in a very
specific way -- remembering that statements need to be made in a specific
order, etc
The hardest part of using other people's software (and I would include
everything from MS Word to LabView in that category) is not knowing the
subtleties of the underlying code. This is especially true for simulation
software -- if it's not well-documented (and sometimes even if it is), it
can be difficult to understand how it's getting the results it's giving me.
That can make it hard to tell whether those results are correct.

A: FROM MENTOR LYNELLEN D. S. PERRY at Meta Group
I rarely experience difficulty working with software: if I don't already
know how to use a particular package then I simply spend some time
browsing menu options and experimenting. One neat thing about computers
is that you can simply close the program if you make mistakes and start
over. Or at worst I might have to reboot the computer. I can always just
delete a document file or project file that I've created and messed up.
Many software packages also have some form of "undo". So for me, the
harder part of computers is the hardware, especially networking hardware
like network cards and the protocols that make them work properly.

A: FROM HETHER SULLIVAN at DaimlerChrysler
A: Now that the web has become so commonplace, I am discovering that there
is too much information available, and it's difficult to focus on what's
important. It's easy to waste time sorting through "junk e-mail" and
browsing through information on the web that seems interesting, but is not
important for my job. In order to be efficient in your job function, you
need to develop the skills to skim the most important information from the
vast resources available. Otherwise, you will spend all your time glued to
a computer screen rather than interacting with the people in your
organization.

Question from Moderator Laura Stempel: Do you find that people make any
particular assumptions about you because you're in the sciences?

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GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 12, 2001

Q: FROM MODERATOR LAURA STEMPEL
Do you find that people make any particular assumptions about you because
you are in the sciences?

A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF at General Motors North America
I find that people sometimes assume that engineering/engineers are boring.
However, I do not think they realize how many aspects of everyday life are
affected by engineering. Without engineering we would not have many of the
necessities and luxuries we use every day. I think people would be amazed if
they really knew how much time, money, and thought are put into designing
even the smallest part. Sometimes people also make good assumptions about
engineering and engineers, though. For example, they usually assume you are
fairly intelligent and make good money if you are in engineering.
I think the view of science and engineering in general is changing though,
mainly because of the diversity of the people working in that field.

A: FROM MENTOR MICHELE MOENSSENS at General Motors Corporation
Some people do make assumptions because you are in the sciences. However, they
aren't always negative assumptions. I find that people often assume that I am
extremely intelligent. Not that I am stupid, but people think that you are
REALLY smart like you have the ability to dissect an atom in the palm of
your hand and show it to them. I really have not had many negative assumptions
made about me (at least that I know about). But, then again many of my high
school friends went onto science fields and as for my college friends, most of them
were engineers. Now that I am in the workforce and don't have any previous
friends or family in Michigan, most of my friends are from work, so
therefore they are in the sciences as well. I think that assumptions come from people
who don't understand what the sciences are about and are just trying to find a
way to correlate with it. I think that times are changing and people are
understanding that with the technology boom, the sciences are a good place
to be. I also think that the "stereotypical" science nerd with a pocket
protector and broken glasses is also fading and this will reduce assumptions that
people make.

A: FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN at Lucent Technologies, Inc.
I don't think I've every had anyone stereotype me because I'm
in the sciences. My friends and co-workers know me for what
I really am, and the other people don't know what I do for a living.
It has been much more common that I've been stereotyped as
non-technical because I'm a woman. I have a lot of trouble
getting the car mechanic to discuss why my car wasn't running
right. And there was the time that a doctor told me I must have
read about migraine headaches and just imagined that I had one
because my description was too detailed. I left with my diagnosis
but now I wish I had politely enlightened him that my employer
pays me the big bucks partially because I am a careful observer
and good analyst.

A: From Moderator: Beaulah Vaz at WORC/IIT
I guess no matter where you go people always make assumptions about you
until they really get to know you. That has been my experience, being from a
science background and working with the Women's Center. I used to get
stereotyped as a "nerd" sometimes because I was a chemistry major in
college. But I was so involved with the hiking club, and the Student
Leadership Committee that it totally confused people sometimes. The fact
that I was a woman really didn't help either.
But with the advances in technology the world is getting smaller and people
are getting used to the idea of women engineers and scientists that not only
work in labs but also look after their homes and still find time for
everything.

Q: FROM KATIE R. with Girl Scouts of Chicago
Hello. My name is Katie and I'm a Girl Scout. I am entering the eighth grade
and have to complete a science project. I was wondering if you had any
suggestions for a science fair project or where to find suggestions for
projects.
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 13, 2001

Q: FROM KATIE R. with Girl Scouts of Chicago
Hello. My name is Katie and I'm a Girl Scout. I am entering the eighth grade and have to complete a science project. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for a science fair project or where to find suggestions for projects.

A: FROM MENTOR BARBARA SMOLEN at Northrop Grumman Corporation
I have heard these are good sites to go to on the web
for help with science projects:
Science Fair Project Resource http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide/
Science Fairs Research http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/sciencefairs/
Math Ideas for Science Fair Projects
http://forum.swarthmore.edu/teachers/mathproject.html
I hope this helps.

A: FROM MENTOR JaTara Brown at Lucent
Is there something about science you've always been curious about? That
is a great place to start! Some of the best science projects that I've
seen were born out of questions, such as "Does your body temperature
rise whenever you eat something spicy like a hot pepper?" or "Do plants
grow faster to music by Beethoven as opposed to music by Bon Jovi?"
There are also many books and web sites in your local library that will
give you plenty of ideas. However, I recommend that you find a topic
that YOU like because not only will you have more fun researching
something that you like, you will also be more enthusiastic about your
project in general. Good luck!

Q: FROM MODERATOR LAURA STEMPEL
Do you find that people make any particular assumptions about you because you're in the sciences?

A: FROM MENTOR Judy McGoogan, Lucent Retiree
For the most part, people seem impressed when they learn that I do
forward-looking work, and design hardware and software systems for
Telecommunications, but I can't say they make any specific assumptions
about me.
I'm blessed to work with some of the most talented people in the
industry. On a day-to-day basis, we each expect one another to be
professionals who respect one another and have creative approaches
to solving problems. I often see folks with passion, commitment,
discipline, and a strong sense of responsibility.

A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON at Lucent
I believe that no matter what career you choose, people will make assumptions
about what type of person you are. In some cases, they may be right! But,
being thought of as a smart person because you are an engineer, isn't a bad
thing.
I also believe that the status of engineering is changing because technology is
everywhere and the engineering field is growing. More and more people are
becoming engineers or have friends who are engineers. Knowing someone in the
field or being in the field, helps the stereotypes to be erased.

=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 16, 2001 Q: FROM MODERATOR SARAH SHIRK What is (was) your favorite Science, Engineering, or Technology (SET) class? Why =========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 17, 2001

Q: FROM MODERATOR SARAH SHIRK at UIC
What is (was) your favorite Science, Engineering, or Technology
(SET) class? Why?

A: FROM MENTOR MOLLY WILLIAMS at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Western Michigan University
My favorite classes were those that brought together a range of
concepts. An example is an introductory class in materials science.
One of the key themes in metallurgy and materials science is the
relationship of microstructural and atomic/molecular properties with
the behavior, like strength or hardness, of the bulk material. For
instance, with many metals, if you deform them they become harder
(This is easy to demonstrate when you take a paperclip and
repeatedly bend and un-bend the wire.). If you then re-heat the
deformed metal, it becomes softer again. We illustrated this
principle using a piece of brass that had been put through rollers
to deform it. We hung it off center in a furnace so that the two
ends of the brass were at different temperatures. Afterwards, we
measured hardness all over the brass and we polished the sample so
we could see what the grains of metal looked like and how they were
different in the soft and hard regions. In one laboratory period we
correlated the processing variables of time, temperature, and
deformation with the resulting physical hardness and with the
appearance of the metal grains. Activities that illustrated
significant concepts, showing why they were important, and how they
could be used in practice, were features of my favorite classes.

A: FROM CASSIE FENOSEFF of GM North America
My favorite engineering classes were those pertaining to materials. I thought
it was very interesting to learn about all of the different types of materials,
what they were composed of, what they were used for, what their properties were,
etc. Prior to taking those classes I had no idea that there was so much to know
about materials and never really thought about it, yet people can spend their
entire career researching materials. I've also been to some technical shows
lately that have displayed many of the advancements in materials- it is amazing
that used carpet, paper, and several other everyday items can be turned into
useful automotive parts instead of being thrown away.

A: From Mentor Heather Sullivan at DaimlerChrysler
My favorite SET classes were those in which I had the opportunity to work
on a "hands-on" project. I took a Mechanisms class where I worked with a
team to design a 7 bar link automotive suspension. By applying the
concepts we learned in class to a real world application, I was able to
understand the concepts much better than if I had just read a book and
listened to lectures. Another favorite was a class where I worked with a
team to design an artificial shoulder joint. Although these "team project"
courses often require more time and energy than "lecture by the book"
courses, they are also more fun and they do a better job of preparing you
for a job in the corporate world. Most jobs involve working in teams to
accomplish your goals, so it's as important to develop interpersonal skills
as it is to learn technical skills.

A: FROM MENTOR JUDY McGOOGAN at Lucent
I really liked my "Operations Research" class. I learned lots of analysis
techniques - PERT charts, etc. that I've used often since college.
Another course I remember well is "History of Science". It was filled with
fun facts and inspiring stories. It was also intriguing to look through
collections of early scientific journals at the library that contained drawings
and dissertations from 18th century scientists.

A: FROM MENTOR MICHELLE MOENSSENS at GM Corporation
My favorite SET Class was a Mechanical Engineering class, Strength of Materials.
In this class we were able to calculate where a beam would break when a load was
put on it or how much you could stretch a piece of metal or plastic before it
broke. We also had a lab that went along with this class that showed the stuff
that you were testing hands-on. It was GREAT to calculate where a beam would
break and then put a load on the beam and see if it broke in the place that you
calculated. I also liked an Industrial Engineering class where we learned how to
weld, use machines like a lathe, create a drill hole and use a CNC Machine.
Hands on classes were the best for me.

A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON at Lucent
My favorite class in college was my IBM 370 Assembler Class! I loved the details
and understanding what is really going on in the machine. Sometimes when
details are hidden, I have a hard time understanding what it does. My instructor
was really funny and energetic, too. I was energized everytime I came out of
that class. And I even did the extra credit during my Easter break for that
class. The credit was to figure out where common code was used everywhere and
make the common code into assembler subroutines to be called.

A: FROM MENTOR JATARA BROWN at Lucent
My favorite subject has always been math and has been ever since I was
in the 5th grade. My 5th grade teacher had a marvelous knack for making
math seem interesting and fun. Hence began my love affair with math. I
literally couldn't get enough of it. Since my 5th grade days, there has
almost never been a school year (or semester) when I wasn't taking at
least one math class. I graduated with a degree in mathematics along
with a degree in computer science. I like math because it challenges me.
There are few things satisfying to me than working on a slightly
complicated math problem and finally solving it. Math forces me to think
in a rational, logical manner by insisting on step-by-step approaches to
problem solving, which is a great skill to have in my job as a software
developer.

New question: In school, do you have (or did you have) any problems
with teachers or other students while taking classes in science, technology
or math?

__________
END

=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 19, 2001

Q: In school, do you have (or did you have) any problems
with teachers or other students while taking classes in science, technology or math?

A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF at GM North America
I cannot remember having any problems with other people because of the fact that I was taking science, technology or math classes. I think this was mainly because I was around several other people who were all taking the same types of classes, especially in college. Outside of school, people were mainly impressed if I told them I was in engineering school.

A: FROM MENTOR BARBARA SMOLEN at Northrop Grumman Corp.
I can't say that I did. I found the teachers always willing to explain, and other students willing to work with me in group projects. For many of my classes, I was the only woman, and did not sense I
was discriminated against. You have to do a few things to help yourself, of course: Read the material, do the assignments, and pay attention in class. Nothing is more irritating to the teacher or other students than having to spend class time going over material already presented, because someone was not paying attention when it was presented. BUT-if you have done your homework, paid attention, etc, and still have a question, you know your class has not gone over the material, and ask your questions. They will be good questions that many other students in class probably have, and you will be taken seriously by the teacher and students.

A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON at Lucent
In school, do you have (or did you have) any problems with teachers or other students while taking classes in science, technology or math?
A couple teachers come to mind. In high school, I learned my first lesson in motivating myself. My Trigonometry teacher really did not care if we listened to his lecture, and did not impress upon us the importance of doing our homework. So, I procrastinated and
ended up with a bad grade. I realized that he was a bad teacher, but I should have motivated myself. A couple other students did well in that class. In college, already having learned the motivation lesson, I had a Calculus II teacher who was very unapproachable. He was cranky during classes and had faltering English and just did not explain the subject well. He gave tests over because most of the students were not doing well. This time, I had staying power. I did go to him for help in spite of his crankiness. I studied and did the homework and
during Easter Break, I did all the homework a second time to try to=20
understand the series. I ended up with a decent grade and felt proud of myself for the accomplishment. I cannot think of students I had problems with. I felt very lucky to find a group of friends (mostly guys because engineering classes are predominantly male) to study with. They were fun, friendly and dedicated. I also had a female friend who was fun to study with. We made blueberry muffins
once a week and went over our Combinatorics homework together. I try to surround myself with happy and successful people and ignore the negative people in my life. The successful people help me to push myself to be a better person and hopefully, successful.

A: FROM MENTOR JULIA HOCHBERG at Motorola
While getting a Mechanical Engineering degree, some of your first and
major ME classes are Statics, Dynamics, and Solids. The main professor teaching these courses at my university is an older gentleman who has written several nationally recognized textbooks and has been teaching for many years. On a weekly basis, he would give the class his "pep talk" about how engineering isn't for everyone, many of us won't make it through, and innocently suggests a business major for those that feel it is just too much. When my girlfriends or I would go to his office during office hours, he was especially adamant about this and often suggested we transfer to other majors. Though his behavior is a little disconcerting in your first and struggling years of engineering, this professor's reputation preceeded him and we had been forwarned by older students. We also had the support and encouragement of our closest friends to remind us that the professor had been teaching a very long time and just set in his ways. In time, he was our favorite "grandpa" figure at school, was always the first to flash us a smile, and was the proudest when all the girl's of my class graduated. I think one of the more dissappointing things for me when entering college was learning that not every professor is the best teacher and not every professor has the best personal qualities. When you believe in yourself and have friends that do, too (even when you are struggling through a class), no teacher or professor will stand in your way.

A: FROM MENTOR LYNELLEN PERRY of Meta Group
Most of the years that I was in K-12, I was in the "gifted" program, so I
had teachers who expected the absolute best and peers who were quite
bright. The few years (or classes) that were not for the "gifted" were
where I typically experienced harassment from fellow students. I rarely
had trouble with teachers, except for those who did the following, which
still seems unfair to me: They would give a test that was so difficult
that even the very smartest people would get only 40 points out of 100.
The teacher would then make 40 points be worth an "A" but would also yell
at us for not learning, often saying that she/he had done a good job of
teaching but that we weren't trying hard enough. Seems like a pretty
rotten attitude in a teacher.

Q: FROM STUDENT Sarah D. at Girls Scouts of Chicago
What percentage of people in you work are female?

=========================================================================
GEM-SET Daily Digest for July 20, 2001

Q: FROM STUDENT Sarah D. at Girls Scouts of Chicago What percentage of people in your work are female?

A: FROM MENTOR LYNELLEN PERRY at META Group To answer the literal question, about 50% of the people in the office are female. However, they are almost entirely administrative staff, not analysts. In other words, almost all the women are secretaries. I can't think of a single male secretary here. There are a small handful (5% - 10%) of women who do 'technical' work.

A: FROM MENTOR BARBARA SMOLEN at Northrop Grumman Corporation I am the only female in Logistics Engineering. Our overall group of 12 people (that includes 2 more disciplines also) has 2 females, myself, and a Provisioning Specialist {not an engineering function}. I rarely work with other women. It is a big difference working in an almost all-male environment. I should mention that the number of female engineers is on the rise, and when you graduate from college, it is very likely the percentages will be higher than the responses you see today answering your question.

A: FROM MENTOR KIMBERLY O'DONNELL at Motorola Working for an engineering company, there are more men than women. I would estimate it to be about 20% women within the engineering sections of the companies that I have worked in. In my previous division of Motorola where there were many more mechanical engineers than in my current division, I became very close friends with some of those women; friendships that I think will last a long time. In my current division there is less, but with a healthy social network outside of work, it isn't a big deal. I also think it is easier to be friends with other women in similar careers since you think about things very similarly.

A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF at GM North America In my immediate group, approximately 60% of the people (including my boss) are female. My boss's boss is also a female. My group is currently an exception, however. In most other groups that I interact with the percentage of females is approximately 20% or less. The number of females (and other minorities) seems to be continuously growing though,which is a good sign.

A: FROM MENTOR MAUREEN McGRATH at Smartforce About 90% of the people who do what I do here are female. I work in a support role with clients, helping them to implement our web-based training solutions. I think women tend to be really good at this. There is a natural inclination to be helpful, patient, process oriented. The women in this role share the tools we've developed and participate in lively internal conference calls to share tips and techniques about working with our products and clients. I feel comradery versus competition within the group.

NEW QUESTIONS:Do you struggle to strike a balance between SET interests/careers and the rest of your life? Is it different than balancing other interests/careers? =========================================================================
GEM-SET DAILY DIGEST for July 23, 2001

Q:Do you struggle to strike a balance between SET
interests/careers and the rest of your life? Is it different than balancing
other interests/careers?

A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF at General Motors North America
I think that being a female engineer makes it more difficult to balance home and
work life than if you worked in other professions. I feel this is primarily
because females typically have many more responsibilities outside of work than
males do. I also think it is difficult because engineering is comprised mostly
of males, who are usually not in the same situation as the females, and
therefore may not be as compassionate towards their situations. Most women also
have to make the choice about how much time they will take off when they have
children, which is a choice most men don't have to make. Lastly, at least in my
engineering job, extensive travel is required, which also adds to the difficulty
of balancing work and home life.

A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON at Lucent Technologies
I do struggle to strike a balance between my engineering job and my personal
life. I think in the end I am successful. At times, I let personal things
interfere at work. I may have to leave early for an art class I am taking, or
for volunteering. But, I also, sometimes work hours over the weekend because I
have something critical to finish by a deadline. I believe that no matter what
job you have, balancing personal and job is an issue. I have a sister who is a
teacher and she spends HOURS every night grading papers. When I suggest she has
her room mother or helper do this, she says she wants to see how each kid is
doing and that if she doesn't grade them, she doesn't really know. Dedication!
Just like engineers who want to get their work done on time and work late hours
or have lab time at midnight.

A: FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN at Lucent Technologies
After about 10 years in my highly technical job, I had the
startling realization that I had lost a lot of creativity. Constant
analysis and logical reasoning seemed to have stunted my
imagination. It hit me over the head when my daughter
asked me to tell her a story and I struggled to make one up!
I resorted to telling her "Adam the ant climbed up the
apple tree and ate an apple ...." I then went out and
found some books on creativity, a workshop, etc. and
invested effort in exercising that part of my brain. I now
have a bunch of little toys in my office and I subscribe to
a weekly creativity e-newsletter. It has made me a
better engineer and my sense of humor has improved.
The other big issue of balance is between work and family.
Unfortunately it still seems true that women have to fight
to have both while men just assume they will have both.
I don't think that the work/family struggle is any different for
women in SET careers than women in any other job or
career.

Q: What are some successful strategies for balancing the work/family struggle?

GEM-SET DAILY DIGEST for July 24, 2001

Q: What are some successful strategies for balancing the work/family struggle?

A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON at Lucent Technologies A successful strategy for balancing the work/family struggle is not a one-strategy solution. I am single and I still have a hard time balancing work with personal responsibilities and my family. The first thing that you have to do, is forgive yourself and let yourself off the hook for not being perfect. Don't expect yourself to be able to do it all. Make priorities in your life and then do the best you can to meet the highest priorities.

A: FROM MENTOR MOLLY WILLIAMS at Western Michigan University It's absolutely necessary to have other family members with an accute sense of fairness! That means having a spouse and children who can agree on which family responsibilities are the most critical, and who is best equipped to carry them out. The assignments may very likely not match the traditional gender roles. My daughter (now an adult) recalls times when she was sick or injured and had to be picked up from school. Sometimes she got Mom, sometimes Dad, and sometimes "You are NOT sick!" Response to those emergencies always started with a conversation between my husband and me about whose schedule of appointments was going to be deleted for the day. In other situations (when we had advance notice) we did the jobs we were best at. When children were in all-day sport events and field trips, I (the morning person) did the early morning drop-offs, and my husband (the night person) did the late pick-ups. As long as the family responsibilities are appropriately prioritized and shared, then it's possible to get the critical tasks accomplished without anyone feeling unfairly disadvantaged. Open and continued communication on expectations is critical.

A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF I think that having an understanding spouse makes a big difference when dealing with the work/family struggle. I think younger generations are more willing to split the chores outside of work 50/50. Individually, I think people can also achieve a balance between work and family if they know what their goals/priorities are and stick to them, no matter what comes up. While there may be the occasional day when you have to deviate from your plans due to an unscheduled meeting, etc., for the most part you should stick to your work/family commitments without changing them. Someone also told me that even if you worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there would still be more work to do. Therefore, I don't think that giving up time for your outside interests so that you can work more will really have any measurable result, and you'll probably just end up unhappy.

A: FROM MENTOR BARBARA SMOLEN at Northrop Grumman Corporation 1) I think the first thing, is to spend time with your family when you are not at work. This could be fun stuff like going to zoos or museums, or doing routine tasks. I often take my son to the laundramat with me, or grocery shopping. We're interacting during that time, plus he's a big help. If I left him at home and went to the laundramat alone, I might as well be at work. During the school year, I drop my son off at school before work. There's a bus he can take, and it adds about 20 minutes to my morning, but he's more ready to visit in the morning and let me know what's going on in his life. When I get home and ask what happened today, the response is "nothing", while in the morning I usually hear about the day before. 2) The second thing I try to do is avoid travel for work, or limit the time I am away. When things come up at work that require a meeting with subcontractors or customers, I suggest a teleconference or video conference as a first step. Sometimes my suggestions is accepted, and we can accomplish the work over the phone/video. Sometimes it's rejected, and I have to travel anyway. Sometimes I look for red-eye flights at 4 or 5 am, that will get me there in time for the meeting, without spending the night before, away from home. If several people from the department are going to a meeting, and my part is very small, I suggest providing the data to another person already going to attend, and I plan on being available by phone at work all day, or at pre-specified times, to answer any specific questions on the material that comes up. This suggestion is almost always accepted in these days of limited travel budgets.

A: FROM MENTOR JOAN SCHESKE at Ford Motor Company Immersed and integrated may be better descriptions than balanced, for me anyway, with regard to family and work life. As the mom of two daughters, ages 6 and 3, and a management level technical employee at an automotive manufacturer, life is full, very full. Key to having that fullness be a blessing versus a curse, are conscious, careful choices: 1. As you take steps leading to a career (e.g. what classes will I take this fall, what class will I take while in high school, what extra curricular activities do I want to participate in, where will I go to college, what will be my major?), make sure they fit who you are, what you enjoy doing. So many people are unhappy with their job (SET or otherwise), some because they choose one with a great salary and learn later that money is nice, but not everything. Some are miserable because they choose a career to make someone else happy (e.g. a parent, societal expectations, etc.). Some are unhappy because their job isn't what they thought it'd be. Think about what you like doing, find out about all kinds of careers, take tours, talk to people, etc. Plan to adjust your college major and/or career choices as you learn more, be open to change, yet thru each step, continually ask yourself, am I having fun, does this bring me joy? 2. Choose a spouse who supports your goals and whose goals you support. It is important to not only have found some one who loves you for who you are, but for who you might want to become over time. Talk about when and if you'd like children, before marriage. Search for a person who'll share child raising responsibilities and house hold chores, team work is very important. 3. Maintain a good support system. It does "take a village" to raise children: Family, friends, health professionals, church, etc. For example, let your children get to know their grand parents, really well. The children reep the benefit of their wisdom, the grandparents the benefit of young optimistic life eager for their hugs. See them at least once a week. Seek your family's (parents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins) company, advise and help, keep the relationships alive and healthy, be there for them when they need you too. 4. Choose a company that is respectful of your family life. Companies that offer telecommuting, 4 day work weeks, flex time, on site child care, family leaves, etc. 5. Get as much sleep as you can. 6. Set priorities, know what is important to you, make time for that. Know that other things will be left undone.

A: FROM MENTOR MICHELLE MOENSSENS at General Motors Corporation I think the key to successful strategies for balancing the work/family struggle is SUPPORT. Your family needs to understand what your career could entail and needs to support you in your choices. You also need to support them through career choices that you have made. It may not always be easy and sometimes something you need to work through but it makes that balance a lot easier. For the past few months, I have been living in Tennessee and my husband in Michigan, it hasn't always been easy, but my husband and I felt that the experience I would get in Tennessee was worth it. It's been rough, but we have been there for each other through it and supported the decision.

A: FROM MENTOR JATARA BROWN at Lucent I am unmarried with no children, so I do not have a lot of commitments at home. It's easy for me to be totally absorbed in my work and not make time for myself. On occasion, I have stayed in the office for 8-10 hours, then brought my work home to continue later on that night, usually until 2 or 3 a.m. I actually carried on this schedule for a while until one night in bed, I dreamed that I was at work! I actually DREAMED that I was in my office, happily coding away! After that, there were some dramatic changes in my work habits. I no longer bring a ton of work home. I may bring a technical manual or several pages of code to read, but that's it. My goal is to get the bulk of my work done in my office, instead of bringing half of it home. This required me to improve my time-management skills and become more efficient in my job so that I could finish my work before the end of the day. Sometimes it meant working overtime in the office as well. However, I was determined not to bring my work home. The end result was that at the end of the day, I felt a sense of pride over the work I had accomplished and was able to just stroll out of work with just my purse and leave my "work mentality" behind. I was able to return to work the following morning with renewed energy, ready to tackle the day's problems. This isn't a hard and fast rule for me because project deadllines and other circumstances can cut considerably in my non-work time; however, I am generally less stressed and more relaxed because I don't feel that I spend all my waking hours at work. Also, if I feel myself getting overwhelmed and burned out (by work and non-work activies), I make plans to take a vacation (usually 1 or 2 days) to relax and recharge my batteries.

Q: When do you have the most self-confidence (for example: answering questions in math class, getting a good grade on a Physics test, working with team members in problem solving, giving presentations, laughing with your friend?
=========================================================================
GEM-SET DAILY DIGEST for July 25, 2001

Q: When do you have the most self-confidence (for example: answering
questions in math class, getting a good grade on a Physics test, working
with team members in problem solving, giving presentations, laughing with
your friends) and why?

A: FROM STUDENT LAURA C. of Huron Valley Girl Scouts/ Mackinac Island Honor Scouts
I have the most personal confidence when I get an A on a math test (which is
my hardest class). Although I also feel confident when some one laughs at a
joke of mine.

A: FROM STUDENT ELIZABETH C of Girl Scouts of DuPage
When I am with my friends and if I get good grades.

A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF at GM North America
I have the most self-confidence when I receive positive feedback from other
people, including my supervisor. I appreciate when people take the time to give
me feedback, even constructive criticism, versus letting me wonder how things
are going. My performance reviews have always gone well, so they always give me
a sense of pride, accomplishment, and increased self-confidence. It motivates
you to work harder when you realize your efforts are appreciated. When I was in
school I received self-confidence from getting good grades and also awards. I
really felt that it paid off to work hard and be a good student.

A: FROM MODERATOR LAURA STEMPEL
This is a real dilemma, because sometimes we feel more self-confident when we do well, but we need self-confidence to do well! I find that it's important to have people around me (friends, family, colleagues) who have confidence in my abilities, and that I feel more self-confident about everything even when small things go well.

Q: What are some successful strategies for balancing the work/family
struggle?

A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN at Patrick Engineering
I find it helpful to make my supervisors aware of my commitment to my
personal life and any specific commitments that go along with it. I
recently was planning my wedding and made sure that my bosses knew that I
had to leave on time for the most part so that I could make calls, have
meetings and plan all the little details that were involved with the
wedding. I let them know that client needs would always be important to me,
but if something wasn't pressing, I was leaving at 5.
Having this clear understanding when you start a job is best. I have found
that one of my coworkers with kids had to specifically outline for our
superiors when she had to leave to pick up her child at daycare and when she
could come in, something most of them were not familiar with as either their
wife stayed home or took care of daycare. She still has enough open time in
her schedule to work 45 -50 hours which is often required around here, but
her schedule is very set. She made this clear and they respected her
commitments.
Of course this depends on who you work for and their beliefs, commitments,
ideas, but it is the best starting point.

Q:Do you struggle to strike a balance between SET
interests/careers and the rest of your life? Is it different than balancing
other interests/careers?

A: FROM MENTOR JATARA BROWN at Lucent
No, there is no struggle to balance my SET interests/career with the
rest of my life. I would not be doing the job that I have now if I
didn't at least have an interest in my field of computer science. In my
spare time, I like to surf the Internet and read technical magazines.
Also, I'm attempting the somewhat ambitious feat of building my own
computer. Some of my non-SET interests include taekwondo, gardening,
knitting, and writing in my journal. I believe it's all about creating
time for the things that are important to you. I don't see any
distinction between my career as a software developer
between that of a doctor, a lawyer, except in terms of what we do for a
living. There are days when I work a regular 8 hour schedule and days
when I stay in the office for up to 11 or 12 hours or come in on
Saturdays and Sundays. Again, it's all about balance and making the time
for the things that are important to me.

Question: What other jobs do you think would be fun to try, if only for a short time?

=========================================================================
GEM-SET DAILY DIGEST for July 26, 2001

Q: When do you have the most self-confidence (for example: answering
questions in math class, getting a good grade on a Physics test, working
with team members in problem solving, giving presentations, laughing with
your friends) and why?

A: FROM STUDENT MELISSA M. of the WISE Program at U. of M.
I have the most self confidence when I am with others that I know and am
comfortable with. Within that group of people or if it is just me and another
person, I feel confidant in anything I do or say. I do feel confident when
I answer questions right and do well in school but on the chance I do give
the wrong answer I know my friends will be there to make me feel better. So
to increase my self-confidence, I became friends with all type of people.

A: FROM MODERATOR, BEAULAH VAZ AT IIT
My most confident moments have been the ones when I sure sure I was right
about something. Giving presentations isn't one of my favorite things, but
I do enjoy working with poeple, and I enjoy being able to help anyone. The
times when I am sure of what i am doing are my moments of maximum confidence.

Q: What other jobs do you think would be fun to try, if only for a short
time?

A: FROM STUDENT ELIZABETH C. at Girl Scouts of DuPage
Helping out at pet stores.

A: FROM CASSIE FENOSEFF at GM North America
I think it would be fun to teach either children or adults in a classroom
setting. I was involved with a program where small groups of engineers would
go into elementary schools to teach the children about math and science, and
I really enjoyed it. It was a much different environment from the office.
I also have attended internal training for my job, and the teachers always seemed
to enjoy what they were doing, which made the training more enjoyable, and
made teaching look appealing. I also think that you really learn a subject well
when you try to teach it to someone else, which can benefit yourself in the process
of helping others.

A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON at Lucent Technologies
I would like to try working in a boutique for a small time. Also, as a hostess
at a restaurant and even a waitress! Something where you get to talk to
people and laugh and have fun, while still working. But, I think I would get tired
of it because it would be almost the same thing all the time.
Longer term, I would like to be an artist.
I also think I would like to TRY sales, but you have to be UP all the time,
which is hard. Ultimately, I think I am in the right job for daily satisfaction and to
pay for my lifestyle. I can do these other things on the side, if I want to.

A: FROM MENTOR MARY JO MULLEN at Patrick Engineering
After all this wedding planning and the success of my wedding (if I do say
so myself) I'd love to be a wedding coordinator. I really like working with
people and the consulting aspect of my job, but I'd love the chance to do
something dealing with weddings and parties. Or selling crafts. Theres a
huge market, I have learned, for wedding crafts. Any craft would be fun,
I crochet (Thank you, Grandma) and do a variety of crafty things. If I could
make my living creating things and selling them at fairs, I'd be a happy
camper. I love my current job, because I do make things for other people,
but it would be fun to do something more creative.

A: FROM MENTOR BARBARA SMOLLEN at Northrop Grumman Corporation
I would like to be a Day Camp counselor for 1st or 2nd
Graders. You get to go on the field trips, swim, etc with your group. Kids
that age are so enthusiastic. I also think it would be fun to work at Great
America for the Summer. As a winter job, it would be fun to work at a huge
craft store, and get to see all the latest products for the crafts I'm
familiar with, and to learn about crafts I've never heard of.

A: FROM MENTOR HEATHER SULLIVAN at DaimlerChrysler
I've always thought it would be fun to run a charitable organization, or
own my own business. It would be great to come up with an idea to use my
engineering knowledge to benefit the needy and make a living! The problem
is finding the idea!

A: FROM MENTOR LISA FITZGERALD at Walgreen Co.
I think it would be fun to be a computer teacher.
I don't have children yet, but I have seen my
friend's children light up when they play their
educational games. Children who normally bounce off
the walls, can be entertained for hours by a good
educational program. The best thing is that they
don't realize they are learning, they are just playing
games. Once a prepackaged educational program is
mastered, children can move on to other useful
computer tools. They can learn how to use a word
processor, how to do research on the Internet, and
ultimately how to program the computer to do what they
want it to do.
I know some children wouldn't be interested in
computers as I am, but for those that are interested
in moving beyond just using programs, I would love to
help them with the next step.

A. From Moderator Beaulah Vaz, IIT
I am pretty sure that I would like to go and work in a mission field for
a short time. Any third world country would be fine. I think it would be
a neat experience to live with other people, learn about their lifestyle,
and especially learn a new language. I am in the process of looking at various
service based mission agencies, and I am still trying to decide which one
would be best suited for me and my husband. We hope to leave in the next
year or two, and hopefully do a three year term.
_____
END
=========================================================================
GEM-SET DAILY DIGEST for July 27, 2001

Q: What other jobs do you think would be fun to try, if only for a short
time?

A: FROM MENTOR JULIA HOCHBERG at Motorola
Who knows what my next job will entail, but I hope to have many
interesting job changes most likely all having, in some way, to do with
engineering. Other things I would like to try: I would like to be an
astronaut. I think it would be neat to teach a pre-engineering class to
high school students with hands on engineering projects. I would like
to go to graduate school. I would love to work at a science museum to
help design exhibits and projects. I would like to be in Washington, DC
to help convince the government to financially support NASA and other
science and engineering endeavors. Following my other interests: I
would love to work in a nursery so that I could learn all the types and
characteristics of different plants. I would like to have the time to
do crafty (fabric arts, pottery, knitting) things and maybe make a
living at it! I would love to take month long travels to various parts
of the world or live someplace exotic for 6 months-1year.

NEW QUESTION: Is the supply of jobs in you current field expanding or contracting?

=========================================================================
GEM-SET DAILY DIGEST for July 30, 2001

Q: Is the supply of jobs in you current field expanding or contracting?

A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF at GM North America
It seems to me that the supply of jobs in engineering is currently decreasing,
mostly because the company I work for is doing a lot of cost cutting.
This means that less jobs are being made
available, and they are even limiting the number of
internal transfers. However, the economy and other factors change so
frequently, I am sure that the restriction on available jobs
will also change. Also, with things becoming more and more technical, I think
the industry as a whole will need more engineers
in future years to keep up with all of the innovation.

A: FROM MENTOR BARBAR SMOLEN
In Reliability, Maintainability, Logistics and System Safety, there are many more jobs available than people. The fields are expanding. But I have to also say that like most Defense Contractors, the need is cyclical.

NEW QUESTION: What are the biggest benefits (both professional and personal) from working in your job?

=========================================================================
GEM-SET DAILY DIGEST for July 31, 2001
Q: Is the supply of jobs in you current field expanding or contracting?

A: FROM STUDENT ELIZABETH C. of Girl Scouts of DuPage Expanding!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A: FROM MENTORÿ MARY JO MULLEN at Patrick Engineering
In civil engineering, it is still expanding. At least in the Chicago area. A lot of my friends are job hopping because companies are in such need for good engineers. Civil is different than other disciplines in many ways because there is a good lag between what the economy is doing and when it actually effects us. A lot of our work is with developers & contractors and different areas of government, so we probably won't feel any effects for at least a year still. The downside of this is that we recover slower after the economy bounces back. It was near impossible to find a job 4 years ago when I was coming out of school even though the economy was doing great. Q: What are the biggest benefits (both professional and personal) from working in your job?

A: FROM MENTOR KIMBERLY O'DONNELL at Motorola, Telematics Communication Group I have found that with working in mechanical engineering for Motorola, you really feel like you are accomplishing something; you are creating something, which is very rewarding. I worked in a law firm when I first got out of college since I had thought about going to law school and had heard of to many people that were not satisfied with that career; the lawyers called the firm a "paper factory" which is how I observed it as well. Nothing was being created, it was more about shuffling papers and the reallocation of wealth, in which the law firm always got a cut. I didn't feel that career would be very rewarding. As an engineer in certain fields, you are actually responsible for making something, or part of something that someone will buy. You'll get a chance to apply the math and science that may come easy to you, and be financially rewarded for having that math/science ability. On a personal level, I enjoy the fact that my job doesn't involve much travel, and I can enjoy my hobbies and friends after work and on the weekends. Additionally, an engineer earns a comparitively higher starting salary with just a bachelors degree than other bachelor's degree candidates. Even if one chooses to switch careers or go back to school in another field later on, an engineering undergraduate degree is viewed highly.

A: FROM MENTOR CASSIE FENOSEFF at GM North America Working in the engineering industry gives me a sense of accomplishment because engineers seem to be highly regarded in society. Whether their views are accurate or not, people tend to think that engineers are intelligent and creative, which are both positive. Other benefits of working in this field include good pay, usually consistent hours, ability to be creative, ability to work with others, and opportunity to continuously learn since the industry is constantly changing.

____
End

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