Dayton Engineer
UD connections miles from home: SWE conference dinner in LA
By Alexis Kemble
This year, I attended WE23, the national conference for the Society of Women Engineers in Los Angeles, California with 22 of my UD peers. While the conference itself was immensely impactful, one of my most meaningful takeaways from traveling to Los Angeles came from sharing a meal with UD alumni.
At this dinner, I met Joan Fisher from the UD class of 1982. Joan has had a remarkable career as an engineer in the defense industry and impressive continuous involvement in the SWE professional sector. It was exciting to hear about the social and professional development events that Joan has organized for female industry professionals in her SWE region, and her insights sparked my interest in continuing my involvement with SWE beyond my time as a collegiate member.
Another current SWE member, Allison, met Anne Fitz, a 2019 computer engineering graduate who was also involved in River Stewards, a program for students to engage with the Dayton community and environment through leadership and service projects. Allison and Anne also related through their Ethos immersions to Guatemala and Nicaragua to do engineering-based service, another opportunity unique to UD.
Our chapter was ecstatic to see Stefani, a two-time graduate from UD in ‘22 and ‘23 and current mechanical engineer at GE Aerospace. Stefani was a UD SWE president during my first conference trip to Indianapolis in 2021, and as I am currently preparing to graduate in May, getting to reconnect with Stefani at my last SWE conference with UD felt like a very full-circle moment.
The Marianist charism places an emphasis on unity and union, family spirit, hospitality and welcoming presence, all of which are elements essential to bring to the dinner table. At this Marianist table, we are encouraged to celebrate one another as family and friends and recognize a special bond of unity as brothers and sisters. Transcending time zones and 40+ years of graduation dates, the bond with our alumni was something I felt in a profound way at the dinner table in Los Angeles, and it was through this bond that we all connected in ways that only members of a greater family can do.