RUNNER UP: "Seeing is Believing"
Emily Moser, Pennsylvania State University, protégé

Engineering is by no means a "path of least resistance" for a young woman. As an undergraduate at Penn State, I struggled not only with the coursework, but with the underlying feeling that I wasn't cut out for a math-intensive, hands-on major.

Throughout my studies, I was able to win the battle with my coursework, earning a 3.66 grade point average and acceptance to every graduate program to which I had applied. I had an extensive résumé with plenty of wonderful internship experiences and glowing recommendation letters. The battle I had not won, however, was with myself. I still felt like an imposter in the engineering world.

My MentorNet mentoring relationship has given me the ability to envision myself as a successful professional in the field of engineering. Having Christa as a mentor has given me a sample of what my future holds. My chosen career now feels like a great fit. ~ Emily Moser

As a first semester graduate student in civil engineering, I was feeling discouraged. I had recently started my research assistantship in a concrete materials group, just coming from a summer internship with a structural engineering consulting firm. The research was challenging. I worked in an all male group, and much of our work involved heavy testing equipment and power tools, none of which I was very confident using. My summer internship had been challenging as well. I was also the only female engineer at the firm, and on one occasion, a co-worker asked me "why a pretty girl like me would ever want to go into engineering when I could have just married a doctor". I was feeling as though I really had made a bad decision, and that I simply did not belong. Compounded with the rigorous coursework involved with graduate studies, I was feeling incompetent and lost.

I decided that I should go for a career that would be more fulfilling and more "feminine." I started talking to physical therapists and nurses in the health care field, and even began looking at programs of study. I felt that helping people would enable me to earn the sense of acceptance I was searching for. Just in case, I also signed up for MentorNet. I searched for a female mentor with three qualifications: (1) a civil engineering background, (2) satisfaction with her job, and (3) a Master's Degree. I chose Christa Lucas.

Talking to Christa has been a breath of fresh air for my professional development. She explained the wonderful mentors she had at work and the satisfaction she gets from what her technical skills allow her to provide. Seeing that Christa felt she belonged in her place enabled me to see myself as a capable professional; as someone who also could belong. She also talks to me about her husband, and her family, and the great things she has in her life. She has a career she enjoys, a husband, and wonderful hobbies. She is great to talk to. She has such a wonderful balance. Christa has helped me look forward to my future, instead of fearing it.

I began to realize that there will be obstacles in any profession, and simply switching to a more female-dominated field would not improve my life as I had previously envisioned. I started taking control of my future - I felt empowered.

I started to spend more time in the research lab, learning how to use the equipment. I tried everything, and I practiced it until I felt comfortable. I took on additional tasks on my own to be more of a contributor. I realized that my classroom performance was a result of the time I put in to learning the material, not how "smart" I was. I allowed myself to truly take interest in what I was doing. I asked a professor who has always been a wonderful mentor to advise my thesis development.

I finally feel that I belong. I'm respected by my classmates for my knowledge. I'm comfortable mixing concrete and helping younger students use the equipment in our lab. I'm being recruited by companies a year before I expect to graduate. I have a great relationship with my thesis advisor. And best of all, it all feels right.

My MentorNet mentoring relationship has given me the ability to envision myself as a successful professional in the field of engineering. Having Christa as a mentor has given me a sample of what my future holds. My chosen career now feels like a great fit.