Kim Drexler's Story
Kim Drexler is a project manager for a pharmaceutical company that works to bring products to the market. She is proud to be part of a diverse team that is improving the health of individuals. It is very rewarding to be making a beneficial contribution to society and she loves that she is always learning something new.
Ms. Drexler always enjoyed math and science and knew she wanted to pursue a STEM-related career. In high school, she decided she was going to major in engineering because she liked the challenge and learning how things worked. She has fond memories of helping her brother build things at home.
In college, Ms. Drexler double majored in electrical engineering and computer science. She found black box and control systems particularly fascinating. It was exciting to be around when the first personal computer came out and technology was burgeoning. Her first job out of college involved control systems in heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
Ms. Drexler acknowledges that bias and discrimination exists in the workplace. You may encounter people who believe that women aren’t as qualified or shouldn’t receive the respect they deserve. She stresses the importance of standing up for yourself while remaining professional. Try to not let people deter you. Engineering is a very rewarding career so stick to your goals and keep working hard.
In order to improve the representation of women in engineering, girls need to be equally encouraged to explore math and science starting from a young age. More STEM-related clubs and activities in school will give students exposure and opportunities to explore what they’re interested in. They need to believe that they can pursue engineering and make important contributions. It would also be helpful for there to be mentoring programs. Mentors are a proven way to provide students with support, information, and improve their self confidence. Ms. Drexler states it would also be beneficial for girls to witness female leaders, whether that be in engineering or any other field. Simply seeing women in leadership positions can help give girls more confidence. She believes that diversity in the workplace will result in more ideas and more efficient work.
Advice Ms. Drexler has for women engineers is to not be scared of making mistakes or not having all the answers. Engineering is a very broad field and there are so many fascinating job opportunities depending on your interests. An engineering career is challenging yet rewarding and the world will always need engineers.
Ms. Drexler always enjoyed math and science and knew she wanted to pursue a STEM-related career. In high school, she decided she was going to major in engineering because she liked the challenge and learning how things worked. She has fond memories of helping her brother build things at home.
In college, Ms. Drexler double majored in electrical engineering and computer science. She found black box and control systems particularly fascinating. It was exciting to be around when the first personal computer came out and technology was burgeoning. Her first job out of college involved control systems in heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
Ms. Drexler acknowledges that bias and discrimination exists in the workplace. You may encounter people who believe that women aren’t as qualified or shouldn’t receive the respect they deserve. She stresses the importance of standing up for yourself while remaining professional. Try to not let people deter you. Engineering is a very rewarding career so stick to your goals and keep working hard.
In order to improve the representation of women in engineering, girls need to be equally encouraged to explore math and science starting from a young age. More STEM-related clubs and activities in school will give students exposure and opportunities to explore what they’re interested in. They need to believe that they can pursue engineering and make important contributions. It would also be helpful for there to be mentoring programs. Mentors are a proven way to provide students with support, information, and improve their self confidence. Ms. Drexler states it would also be beneficial for girls to witness female leaders, whether that be in engineering or any other field. Simply seeing women in leadership positions can help give girls more confidence. She believes that diversity in the workplace will result in more ideas and more efficient work.
Advice Ms. Drexler has for women engineers is to not be scared of making mistakes or not having all the answers. Engineering is a very broad field and there are so many fascinating job opportunities depending on your interests. An engineering career is challenging yet rewarding and the world will always need engineers.