Introduction
Going on with the 12th #WomeninSTEM interview of the month. Today we will hear from another Electronics Engineer by the name of Preeti Gupta! Please keep scrolling links to this month’s livestream, more interviews, and of course, Preeti’s interview! Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for another great #WomeninSTEM story.
Livestreams - Recorded
- May 17: @Falkyou - Add to your calendar!
- May 10: @AnaQueenMaker of @EpicQueens
- May 03: Lindsey, @the_engineeress
May Interviews - #WomeninSTEM
- May 15: Ketal Gandhi - Electronics Engineer
- May 14: Rachel Patron - Chemical Engineering
- May 10: Michelle Thompson - Information Theory
- May 09: Ena Hodzic - Aeronautics and astronautics
- May 08: Anastasia Marchenkova - Physics
- May 07: Kiara Navarro - Embedded Hardware Engineering
- May 04: Laura Abbott - Computer Science
- May 03: Shirley Q. - Computer Science - Software Engineer
- May 02: Alejandra Muñoz Villalobos - Front End Developer I IT Engineer
- May 01: Alveera Ahsan - Electrical Engineer
The Interview - Preeti Gupta
- Name: Preeti Gupta
- STEM Field of Study (or profession): Electronics and Communication Engineering
Do you have a favorite quote? What is it and who is it from?
Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay. - Dalai Lama
Personal Experience
Q: What was (or is) your favorite subject in school and why?
Preeti: “Mathematics because in it the answer is either right or wrong There can’t be any randomness while getting marks.”
Q: What was your daily routine like (in school, work, or at home). How might this have impacted/influenced your participation in STEM?
Preeti: “At work, I am in testing team and i report bugs in code if any.”
Q: Describe the first time you heard about STEM, why was this an appealing thing to be a part of?
Preeti: “May be in my teens. It is amazing to be a part of STEM as very few women are part of it thats what makes us interesting.”
Q: When was the first time you became actively involved in STEM? Do you recall a specific project or initiative?
Preeti: “I took part in a Maths olympiad in 9th class.”
Q: How have your beliefs, motivations and aspirations changed over time? When did a career in STEM become a priority or choice?
Preeti: “There is no motivation as such i just liked Physics and maths over other subjects”
Q: Who has served as an ‘influencer’ in your path to a STEM focused education and/or career?
Preeti: “Bill gates and Larry page”
Q: What is your dream job? Can you see any roadblocks or challenges which might be influenced by your gender?
Preeti: “I don’t have a dream job but I want to do some innovation while pursuing my career.”
Q: Are hobbies in STEM important? What about hobbies in general? Can you share some of your hobbies that may (or may not) have contributed to your STEM involvement?
Preeti: “Painting, Workout, Playing TT.”
Q: Has there been any point when you (or someone close to you) wanted to give up STEM (work, hobby, both)? What made you stay?
Preeti: “No”
Women in STEM Impact
Q: What does STEM mean to you?
Preeti: “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. To me it is a way to innovation and inventions.”
Q: Can you recall any times when you questioned your involvement in STEM because of your gender?
Preeti: “Yes while preparing for Engineering Entrance as i could not see Girls in Top Ranks”
Q: What are some of the personal experiences - or compelling arguments - that have influenced your thinking around gender and STEM, and have motivated you to get involved in being an advocate for change?
Preeti: “I have observed in my college times that girls don’t actively participate in Technical competitions and Projects. They think that boys are better than them, but in my group projects with girls, Me and one of my friends made most of the projects ourselves.”
Q: Do you have a network of women in STEM around you to share knowledge and remind you you are not alone? If so, how did you go about creating that network?
Preeti: “No but i wish to have such Network”
Q: Do you have a mentor or friend who inspires you? How/Why? (someone you know personally)
Preeti: “Not yet.”
Q: Are you involved/can you recommend any organization(s) that support Women in STEM (shoutouts)?
Preeti: “Girls who code.”
Q: Can you name any women who have made a strong impact in the STEM community? How has their impact made an influenced your life?
Preeti: “Madam Curie. Her contribution shows that girls are no less.”
Q: Are there any (YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, etc…) influencers out there who inspire you regularly? How/Why?
Preeti: “Sandeep Maheshwari, Jay Shetty.”
Q: Top three changes which could make life easier for Women in STEM?
Preeti: “Change in Mentality in schools colleges and work, Making resources available, Networking as women don’t participate in Networking actively”
Advice to the younger you and women considering a career in STEM
Q: Which achievement do you look at and think “I’d love to go back in time and tell younger me that this was possible”?
Preeti: “While preparing for Engineering Entrance, i should have studied harder.”
Q: Did you ever stay at a place where politics got in the way of curiosity, technical progress or personal growth? How did you realize, and at which point did you decide to move on?
Preeti: “Not yet experienced.”
Q: If you could go back and change one thing in your STEM path, what would that be?
Preeti: “Nothing”
What’s Next?!
As a reminder, this week, we will be meeting with Al aka @Falkyou who is a web application developer, cybersecurity MS candidate and model from Pittsburg. To read more about this week’s interview, and to learn how to participate, be sure to checkout the 96Boards OpenHours website (update coming soon)! Countdown and instructions on how to join can be found there!
More information here: WI-STEM page has the schedule, go there!
