By Marco Antonio
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Anyone interested in engineering can join the Society of Women Engineers, a club focusing on increasing the number of women in the field of engineering.
MESA center Coordinator Analisa Sengele said the club is open to both men and women interested in engineering, but the club exists because the female demographic is low in the field.
“There are so few girls because as children they’re not encouraged to go into science or to do that as much as boys,” said Chasity Valerio, society treasurer and mechanical engineer sophomore.
Andrea Afanader, engineering sophomore and society president, said as children, girls and boys are treated differently.
“Girls are not very encouraged to go try building something or since we were younger, girls are not inclined to go the math ways,” Afanader said.
Afanader said engineering is solving a problem, finding a solution and creating a way to solve it. There are many ways to solve problems and diversity in engineering is important.
“A woman’s perspective is just very important,” Afander said.
The chapter is trying to engineer the opportunity to attend the society’s national conference Oct. 23-25 in Los Angeles. Expected to draw 7,000, the conference, recognizes women’s contributions to engineering through workshops, scholarships, lectures, development programs and networking opportunities.
In the spring, the college chapter applied for funding, but only received half the funds for the trip from the Student Activity Fee Committee.
The society meets every Monday noon-1 p.m. in the MESA center, Room 204 of Chance Academic Center.
For more information, call 210-486-0085.