If you have walked through the Reed Union building this last week, you may have noticed a table donning a green banner that reads "Society of Women Engineers." The group known as SWE has been selling Cold Stone Creamery vouchers all week as their first fundraiser of the fall semester. This fundraiser will allow SWE to put money in their reserve and start saving for a conference they will be attending in Austin, Texas called the WE17 Conference.

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It comes as a shock to hear that the Society of Women Engineers is one of the larger clubs on campus which welcomes new members all the time. When asked who was welcomed to the club, the networking chair Alexandra Oliver, a junior who is studying Plastics Engineering and Technology, stated:  “SWE is open to anyone who supports our goals, literally anyone”.  Oliver explained that SWE is used to bring together women who are involved with STEM, targeting both younger girls and women here on campus.

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When asked what other kinds of fundraisers the student body could expect from the fundraising chair, Alexa Foo, a sophomore studying computer science, told the Beacon that “After this, we are going to have a hoodie sale, we have a couple of designs with Penn State on it." Foo stated that we could look forward to the uniquely designed hoodies, which she created herself with the help of colleague Rachael Versaw, a sophomore studying software engineering, around the 23rd of September.  She also said there is a Buffalo Wild Wings dinner fundraiser in the works which will allow students to go for dinner and have proceeds given to SWE.

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So, if you’re not in the STEM program, why should you support SWE? Firstly, SWE tries to get involved with local girls to give them experiences in different fields involving STEM. One example of their community outreach is Girl Scout Day where the club brings in local Girl Scouts and plans different interactive activities and presentations that allow the girls to experience a small portion of STEM. Secondly, SWE brings in many speakers that are goal orientated on teaching the group members valuable career skills and tactics to help them advance in a predominantly male market. According to reasoningmind.org “although women make up 48 percent of the U.S. workforce, they comprise only 24 percent of the STEM workforce.”

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The money raised by SWE allows them to bring in speakers, go to conventions, and attend local events. One such event is already planned this year for October 3, 2017. A Gannon professor will be talking to the club and all those that come about negotiating your salary.  Last year, the money raised allowed the members of SWE to attend the WE Local, a conference held in Pittsburgh in which the members spent a weekend in Pittsburgh listening to speakers and being exposed to local companies. For The WE17 Conference, the club will be attending to this year is the world’s largest conference and career fair for women in Engineering.