Program: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Level V (Co-op)

What are you grateful for? I am so grateful for my loving family back home in NB!

Why do you want to be an engineer? I want to be an engineer because I love puzzles and learning new things.

What colour best describes your personality? Red best describes my personality because I am bold but warm!

Other Extra-Curriculars: McMaster Varsity Synchronized Swimming!

Program: Chemical Engineering and Management, Level IV

Why did you want to join WIE? I have been on the WIE Executive Team since my first year at McMaster. I applied to be a First Year Representative because I was looking for ways to become involved in the Mac Eng community and I am so glad I did because I received mentorship, support and friendship from an incredible group of student leaders. This sparked my passion for maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for women-identifying students in the Mac Eng community and ever since I have been able to develop my leadership skills while working with an amazing team who inspire me every day!

How do you manage stress? You cannot focus 100% of your energy on school 100% of the time, so it is important to take time to decompress, participate in hobbies, and do other things that bring you joy. 

Other Extra-Curriculars: Chemical Engineering Club, Residence Orientation Representative

Program: Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Level III (Co-op)

Why did you want to join WIE? Since my first year of university was online, I found it difficult to make new friends or meet new people. As soon as classes went somewhat back in-person, I wanted to be as involved in the McMaster student community as possible. I joined WIE not only as a way to make connections with like-minded individuals, but also as a way to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment for other students to do the same. This is my third year on the executive team!

What are you grateful for? My incredible family and close circle of friends who support me through everything that I do. 

What is the productivity tool you couldn't live without? Definitely my colour-coded Google Calendar. It's how I stay on top of all my classes, meetings, appointments, and other time commitments throughout my week. It's so convenient being able to pull it up on my phone or laptop whenever I need it. I also use it to keep track of important deadlines and due dates!

Other Extra-Curriculars: Ergonomics at MAC Formula Electric, Redsuits

Program: Mechanical Engineering and Management, Level III

Why did you want to join WIE? Entering Engineering during my first year was very intimidating, I slowly made more friends and women mentors and realized how important representation is. It's so important to have women engineers support one another and reinforce the feeling of belonging. I wanted to build self-confidence in women currently in Engineering and help give others the opportunity to learn more about what exactly it means!

What motivates you to work hard? My mom! She raised me on her own and is the reason I understand the value of hard work. She is the happiest human I know, and if I could have only a portion of her resilience I would consider myself lucky. Everything I do is for her <3

How do you manage stress? By spending time with the people in my life who make me feel complete. Also, by doing things for myself that make me happy like listening to music, singing, going on walks, and eating. Little things like this help you reset and look at your difficulties with a fresh perspective!

Other Exra-Curriculars: McMaster A Cappella!

Program: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Level II

What motivates you to work hard? My parents! They both moved from Poland to Canada as teenagers and worked extremely hard to support our family. They remind me you can reach all your goals if you work for it!

What is your favourite WIE memory? My favourite WIE memory was the International Women’s Day Photo Booth!! Organizing an event that brought joy and empowerment to so many women on campus was very rewarding. I believe it’s crucial to have events like these to support each other.

What is the productivity tool you couldn't live without? An app I use everyday is To Do by Microsoft!! It provides extremely organized to do lists that links to all other Microsoft apps and I would definitely forget my due dates without it.

Other Extra-Curriculars: Intramural volleyball, Redsuits

Program: Computer Science, Level II

Why did you want to join WIE? Just by attending events and through the mentorship program in my first year, it was easy to see how supportive, welcoming, and fun WIE is. I'm excited to be a part of such a positive community of inspiring women!

How do you manage stress? Taking breaks and spending time doing things other than school. It can be hard, but it's super important to try to stay balanced throughout the school year. Some of my favourite activities to get my mind off things are reading, painting, and going on walks in Coote's.

What are you grateful for? My family, friends, and chocolate ice cream :)

Other Extra-Curriculars: Intramural basketball, softball, and innertube waterpolo (highly recommend!!)

Program: Electrical Engineering, Level II

Who is your hero? My parents are my heroes! They have always been resilient when faced with an obstacle, and they inspire me to pursue my dreams.

Why did you want to join WIE? I aspired to join WIE to build more inclusive and empowering spaces for women-identifying students in McMaster Engineering. My goal is to support incoming students and underrepresented groups build meaningful connections, overcome barriers that prevent them from reaching their potential, and feel accepted in our community.

Why do you want to be an engineer? My love for learning and understanding the universe, as well as my desire to make a meaningful impact in this world through my work serve as a strong source of motivation.

Program: Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Level II

Why did you want to join WIE? I went into iBio as an out of province student, not knowing if I actually wanted to be in engineering. The opportunity to talk to other WIE at Mac, through Mentorship and other social events, gave me many perspectives, and helped me find my own path in my education. I am incredibly grateful for the welcoming I felt from McMaster WIE in my first year, and I want to continue to spread this community to all female-identifying individuals at Mac.
What is the productivity tool you couldn't live without? Microsoft Excel. I love making sheets and lists for organization, calendars, keeping track of assignments, I think it can be applied to anything. It kept me on time during the school year, and I think it's also kind of fun because there's always a new feature to learn!

Other Extracurriculars: Volleyball Intramurals, McMaster Science Fundamentals, WiSTEM Marketing Committee

Program: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Level II

Why did you want to join WIE? Coming from a small town that lacked representation in many fields, including engineering, I felt super apprehensive starting my program and honestly wasn’t sure if I would be successful. I want to help connect other women to make connections to create a supportive community of women in engineering!

How do you manage stress? Perspective is so important! You are not defined by a poor mark on a midterm, so don’t let that fear consume you. Decompress by spending time with friends and doing non-academic activities!

What is the productivity tool you couldn’t live without? During exam season I am an avid Flora user, as someone with an extremely short attention span. It definitely helps me push through those long study blocks and stay focused, but also reminds me to step back and take much-needed breaks every so often.

Other Extra-Curriculars: Intramurals, McMaster Rowing, Redsuits, and Lifeguarding

Program: Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Level III

What motivates you to work hard? Motivation can be hard to find sometimes. That's why I remind myself of the amazing, successful female-identifying engineers I admire, such as my previous co-op supervisor. It's comforting and motivating to remember the paths that led them to where they are today. And when this doesn't work, turn your homework and studying into a game!

What colour best describes your personality? According to a BuzzFeed quiz, I'm yellow LOL, and to be honest I think that describes me best. I would say I'm outgoing, energetic, enthusiastic, and always looking for something to do!

How do you manage your stress? Prioritizing a schedule that balances getting active, sleeping well, eating well, and academics help me minimize stress. But of course, stress is inevitable in university. So when things become overwhelming, it's important to take a step back and recharge with friends, have a self-care night, or try changing your routine to fit your needs!

Other Extra-Curriculars: Women's lacrosse team, soccer and floorball intramurals, MED-T

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Program: Electrical Engineering and Society, Level III

How do you manage stress? Whenever I feel stressed I Immediately order food to devour or go on a walk/visit a waterfall!

What is your favorite WIE memory? Hosting the first-year social was definitely one of my favorite memories. I never got the chance to attend in my first year so I got to live the experience through hosting the event. We had such an incredible turnout and had so much fun playing Jeopardy!

What is the productivity tool you couldn’t live without? I seriously cannot live without my Notion. I organize my entire life on Notion, from my weekly calendars to financial budgeting. It is truly a lifesaver and keeps me on track.

Program: Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Level IV

Why did you want to join WIE? I wanted to join WIE so that I can contribute to this amazing inclusive community, and uplift fellow women-identifying engineering students. WIE provided a lot of guidance for me since my first year, and I am so excited to be able to do the same for others.
What is the productivity tool you couldn't live without? Notion! I use it to organize my courses, extra-curriculars, TA-ing and co-ops.
What are you grateful for? I am grateful for my amazing friends (who are also women in engineering) that have always been there for me and motivated me to work hard. Being in an engineering program can be difficult and draining, but I'm happy that I have a super supportive group of friends that make it a lot more fun!

Other Extra-Curriculars: MED-T Mechanical Team, CAD Designathon, and TA-ing for ENGINEER 1P13

Program: Software Engineering, Level III

Why did you want to join WIE? I went to an all girls school from kindergarten till Grade 12. So, I essentially grew up with a group of strong and supportive women all around me. Transitioning from that to a male-dominated field with a small number of women in most classes and workplaces has undoubtedly, been hard. I joined WiE with the hope of finding a similar nurturing community of smart, independent and like-minded women who are forging their own, unique paths.
Who is your hero? This is probably going to sound a bit cliché but my hero is my mom. Battling through every obstacle thrown her way (and there were a considerable number of them), she has grown to be the most admirable, resilient and endearing woman I know of. At the age of 22, she juggled looking after a less than a year old baby and a demanding Master's degree program while caring for a joint family of 10. Despite being put at every possible disadvantage, my mother has been breaking generational cycles and relentlessly pursuing her dreams while defying societal norms and allowing her daughter to have all the liberties and privileges she was never afforded. Truly, I could never be who I am if it wasn't for the woman who raised me.

Other Extra-Curriculars: McMaster EngiQueers

Program: Mechanical Engineering and Management, Level III

What is your favourite WIE memory? My favourite WIE memory was during my second year, welcome week. I helped out with the WIE booth during faculty fest acting as both a redsuit and executive member - I loved connecting with first years and introducing them to our society and what we had to offer!! Was so fun and memorable to meet and connect with so many women in engineering :)
Who is your hero? My hero is definitely my mom! She overcame the odds as an immigrant, as well as a woman in engineering. She is such a hard worker in all facets of life, and makes me want to put everything into all I do.
What is the productivity tool you couldn’t live without? I eat sleep and breathe Google Calendar! Everything I ever do is in there, and it really helps me stay on top of school, extracurriculars, and my personal life. I highly recommend this to anyone, as the mental offloading is so helpful. I’m also a big fan of Notion which I use to keep track of all my assignments and big projects.

Other Extra-Curriculars: MSME (McMaster Society of Mechanical Engineers), Redsuits, intramurals (hockey, floorball, innertube water polo)

Program: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Level III

Why do you want to be an engineer? I always knew that I wanted to work in an industry where I could contribute to a better understanding of how medicines are made and distributed to people in need. During first-year, I realized that I wanted to do this by working as a Chemical Engineer in the pharmaceutical sector!
What is your favourite WIE memory? Making beaded bracelets at the Halloween social when I was in first-year!
What are you grateful for? I'm incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of my family and friends. Engineering is a tough program, so it helps to know that I'm surrounded by people who want to see me succeed.

Other Extra-Curriculars: President of MacSER, Engineering Ambassador

Program: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Level IV (Co-op)

Why do you want to be an engineer? Truthfully, coming into university I never thought engineering would be the right path for me (I had applied to all science programs out of highschool and ultimately chose iBiomed thinking I would pick HESE). After first year I realized that although it was a big challenge for me, I loved problem solving and figuring out how things worked. I realized that once I graduated, I'd need to be doing something where I constantly felt challenged otherwise I'd probably be bored and came to the realization that maybe I was meant to be an engineer :)
Why did you want to join WIE? Growing up I was fortunate enough to be a part of many empowering female communities, from my teams playing high level sport, to my coaching community and much more. When I came to university and learned about WIE, I knew that I wanted to be directly involved in making the community of women-identifying engineers as positive for all those who are a part of it as possible, bringing some of my previous experiences with me

Other Extra-Curriculars: Redsuits, intramurals (volleyball, soccer), Chem-E car

Program: Chemical and Bioengineering, Level IV

What motivates you to work hard? Being an immigrant and having the privilege to access so many opportunities in this country motivates me to work hard. I want to make my family's sacrifice worth it and obviously make them proud.
What color best describes your personality? Purple! Lately I've been gravitating towards purple because its so fun and it makes me so happy. I definitely think I have a purple vibe.
What is your favorite WIE memory? My favourite memory is last year's IDEA Conference. Particularly hearing everyone around me share anecdotes and advice and empathizing with other folks.

Other Extra-Curriculars: Redsuits

Program: Mechanical Engineering and Society, Level III

Why did you want to join WIE? Throughout my first year, the WIE community was a major support system for me. It allowed me to make great friends, feel supported and mentored through any struggles, and provided events to help me get out of my daily study routine. With WIE's support, I was able to find a place within McMaster Engineering where I felt like I belonged. By joining the WIE team, it has been my goal to continue to help other students feel supported in this community as I was!

How do you manage stress? There are many factors I've learned over the past few years that help me manage stress. Though it sounds small, I've found that turning on some music and going for an aimless walk around my neighbourhood really helps me find a new perspective on my stress. I cannot emphasize enough how helpful it can be to take just 30 minutes away from your desk and completely refocus your mindset to help your stress feel less all-consuming. Additonally, I ensure I'm leaving myself time in my day for my hobbies outside of engineering, allocate some quality time to spend with friends, and always make sure I'm taking care of my mental and physical health!

Program: Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, Level IV

What is your favourite WIE memory? My favourite WIE memory is when I ran a holiday gift basket fundraiser in my first year on exec alongside my Mentorship Co-VP, Meira. It was fun to spread some holiday spirit and felt great to raise money for our community. We donated over $200 to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Hamilton.
What is the productivity tool you couldn't live without? My planner! I love having a physical planner where I can write down everything, from grocery shopping lists to upcoming midterms. It helps me to manage my time and decide what to prioritize. 
What is your biggest accomplishment? My biggest accomplishment is completing my Royal Academy of Dance Advanced 2 ballet examination during the summer of 2020. It took many years of training, as it is the highest level of studio ballet examinations. I am so grateful that I was able to complete it despite all the obstacles that the pandemic brought. Dance is a really important part of my life, and I am excited to continue dancing at McMaster, and through student-led dance groups.

Other Extra-Curriculars: McMaster Recreational Dance Team, Redsuits, TA-ing for ENGINEER 1P13

Program: Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Level III (Co-op)

What motivates you to work hard? I think my desire to learn is what motivates me to work hard. I have always been very driven when it comes to my education and career. I love learning new things and the feeling of when concepts start to "click". Working hard to learn, grow, and challenge myself gives me the greatest sense of fulfillment. I want to make myself proud and be a role model for others.
What are you grateful for? I am grateful for my parents as they have supported me throughout my entire life. They are the first people I go to for advice, whether it be big education/career decisions or simply asking: "does this chicken look done to you?". I am so grateful for their continuous love and support.
Why did you want to join WIE? I wanted to join WIE to encourage more young women to pursue engineering. I'm looking forward to running the Ambassador program this year because I believe these initiatives are important for breaking down barriers and supporting young women in their education and careers. I am very excited to be a part of this incredible team of women.

Program: Engineering Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Level III

Who is your hero? My mom is my hero!
Why did you want to join WIE? I joined women in engineering to support the growth of our community and help increase the diversity of our profession.
What are you grateful for? I am grateful for all of the women in engineering that have supported me and reminded me that I always belong here!

Other Extra-Curriculars: Front Row Ventures (student-run venture capital firm), intramural sports

Program: Electrical Engineering and Management, Level III

What is the productivity tool you couldn't live without? One tool I CANNOT live without is my iPad. I have everything on my iPad and it makes my backpack so much lighter and easier to carry around without a bunch of heavy books.
What are you grateful for? I’m super grateful for my friends and family. They are all so supportive of me and I would not know where I would be, or who I would be, without their influence.
How do you manage stress? I manage my stress by allowing myself time to relax and take care of myself, whether that be by going on a walk, talking to my friends or taking a nap.

Other Extra-Curriculars: McMaster Sumobot Club, McMaster D.A.R.E., Culture Committee

Program: Engineering I

Why do you want to be an Engineer? I'm a history buff, and I've always been fascinated by the Industrial Revolution. Learning about it has shown me that engineers are like unsung heroes, using science to make big, meaningful changes in the world. I would love to be a part of that and make a positive impact!
How do you manage your stress? Winding down with a good movie or a sitcom that I love!
Why did you want to join WIE? Community is super important to me and I wanted to have a meaningful role in fostering that community.