AJ Whittenberg Hosts “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” Event
Members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) visited A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School today to introduce fourth grade girls to careers in engineering. Students worked in teams with professional engineers to design and launch paper rockets.
Dr. Melissa Smith, engineering professor at Clemson University, spoke to the students about the important role of engineers, encouraging them to blast through the “glass ceiling” and soar. “Being an engineer is about working hard, determination, and believing in yourself,” she told them. “We have the opportunity to make a difference. Engineering is using creativity, ideas, and dreams to make life better.”
Female engineers from 3M, General Electric, Jacobs Engineering, Cryovac, and other organizations served as mentors for the girls.
Following Dr. Smith’s address, the girls designed rockets from paper and launched them using a soda bottle and PVC pipe.
