The women of SWE at their annual SWE For Scouts event @MANHATTANUNIVERSITYSWE / LINKEDIN.COM
Leyla J. Mercado, A&E Editor
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has a variety of events and activities planned for the upcoming academic year, aiming to highlight the contributions of Manhattan University’s female engineers.
According to manhattan.edu, SWE, founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that is intended to empower women to further advance and reach success within the field of engineering, while also receiving recognition for their life-altering contributions as both engineers and leaders.
SWE’s mission of empowerment has remained since then. The chapter’s current treasurer, Julia Tsesmetzis, is a senior chemical engineering major and spoke to SWE’s true commitment to the women on campus who are the engineers of the future.
“SWE’s most important mission is to inspire young women engineers that they’re not alone in this journey since this field is such a male dominated field,” Tsesmetzis said. “Sometimes, it can be hard for young women to make friends. With SWE, every woman is welcome and is encouraged to partake in the club.”
SWE has helped women not only to grow their skills, but expand their networks through the mentoring of others. Natalia Cieslak, a senior chemical engineering major who has been a member of SWE throughout her entire collegiate career, further spoke about how SWE’s efforts have supported her.
“As a woman in engineering, I deeply appreciate SWE’s mission of empowering women to achieve their full potential in engineering and leadership roles,” Cieslak wrote to The Quadrangle. “In a field where women are still underrepresented, SWE creates a community of support, mentorship, and professional development that makes a real difference. For me personally, their mission resonates because I have had many SWE members help me get to where I am now through their support.”
As for SWE’s plans for the academic year, a variety of activities are in the works. The goal is for the women of engineering to enjoy themselves in an educational yet fun way.
President of SWE, Gabriella Morelli, a senior chemical engineering major, spoke to The Quadrangle about these events.
“We’ve started to play the annual alumni social, so that’s a really great event, not just for networking, but to make connections as well with our alumni,” Morelli said. “We’re also trying to plan an alumni fireside chat, so that would be a panel where we can ask the alumni questions. Another annual event we have is SWE for Scouts, where girl scouts come and learn about the different types of engineering, and we do experiments for all of the different types of engineering. Also, we’re going to try and do things like pumpkin painting, as a de-stresser and we’re going to participate in Safe Halloween.”
Tsesmetzis additionally spoke to what she is mostly looking forward to in regards to planning the upcoming year for SWE.
“The most exciting plan that we have for SWE this year is the SWE conference that is hosted in New Orleans,” Tsesmetzis said. “This conference is where all of the SWE clubs from all across the world and other engineering companies gather and network. It’s a great opportunity to spread the word about our club. There’s lots of amazing speakers and short classes to give each and every participant to gain experience.”
Morelli further elaborated about the importance that these events hold for the greater student body.
“I feel like when I was a freshman, I would attend all these events and the main part of it is to feel connected and to want to continue coming,” Morelli said. “So I feel like that would be the main goal, to get people to keep being involved and connected with SWE.”
The club’s events have been impactful for its members and their futures post graduation. Cieslak elaborated on how SWE is a community beyond just engineering.
“SWE creates spaces where we can give back locally and also grow professionally on a national scale, which is what excites me; it shows the impact SWE has at every stage of the engineering journey,” Cieslak wrote The Quadrangle. “SWE has had a huge impact on my college career as an engineering student. Through the national SWE conference, I was able to find my dream internship … Beyond that, SWE has shaped me to be more prepared for an industry setting by building my confidence, exposing me to professional development opportunities and connecting me with mentors and peers who push me to grow.”