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Alexandra McMullin
Undergraduate student in civil engineering at the Gina-Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science at Concordia University *
Genius was never my first choice. To me, engineers were men, welders were men, builders were men, and I wasn’t. Therefore, it never occurred to me to pursue a career in this field.
I enrolled in commerce at CEGEP, but without enthusiasm. In the last year, to my surprise, a recruiting officer from the Gina-Cody School assured me that I could enroll in engineering. She was so convincing that I dared to take the plunge.
My entourage, however, both male and female, kept telling me that engineering was a man’s business. So much so that I finally convinced myself. If I have never been dissuaded as such from becoming an engineer, they are far from having encouraged me to do so. But I persisted.
At first, I suffered from impostor syndrome, convinced that I was out of place. The transition from business to engineering turned out to be more difficult than I expected: I lacked the science basics that most of my classmates had and, on top of that, barely 10% of the students in my courses – and again ! – were girls. It was disheartening.
The revelation
My perspective changed dramatically in the first term when the university renamed Gina-Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science to its former Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science. I finally had a woman as a model! I suddenly realized that this brilliant engineer had not only succeeded in life, but also federated under her name all the students of the School, girls and boys. From then on, I too had the right to appropriate this area. Just seeing the guys wearing Gina-Cody’s name on their t-shirts enchanted me.
With this new confidence, I wanted to go further by joining the Women in Engineering association. It is there, with this great team, that I was able to find my place in engineering. I understood that sexist prejudices had hindered my decisions and that since I was little my subconscious had distracted me from the engineering profession. Too many misconceptions prevent women from owning STEM; consciously or not, these prejudices dispel them by undermining their confidence.
This is not about looking good or filling administrative quotas to save face. Yes, the girls are just as smart and capable as the guys in technical matters and, no, they won’t find a job any easier just because they are women. We have only one ambition: to work on our work.
From STEM to self-esteem
Let’s encourage young women to study in STEM and make sure we remove the invisible barriers in their path. The more visible the women who have chosen these disciplines are, the more we girls will develop a sense of belonging. It is capital.
I appeal to our male colleagues. You are intrinsically part of the change. Women constitute a minority in so-called hard disciplines. We will not be able to change the situation on our own and, moreover, that would not be fair. We need you.
I am extremely proud to be an engineering student at Concordia University, where professors and students value gender equality. To young women who are considering careers in science, technology, engineering and math, I say, “Don’t hesitate, you will fit right in there. ”
* Alexandra McMullin is a member of the board of directors of the student association Women in Engineering.
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