Callie Jensen

Background in SWE:

I have been a part of the Public Relations committee since Freshman year and am the Social Media Co-Director this school year. The videos that we have created have now reached up to 5.7 million views, with my goal to appeal to a wider audience to boost our club’s reach.

Describe a leadership experience that challenged you. What did you learn from it and how would it influence your work on the SWE executive board?

Being captain of my high school's volleyball team during my senior year was a big challenge. We were coming off 4 consecutive years of placing 2nd or higher at state. With that, there were a lot of interpersonal issues between girls and by the middle of the season, I realized our team was very clique-y. After losing to a team that we should’ve beat, morale was at its lowest. As captain, I knew that I had to take action if we wanted to be successful. Volleyball is a team sport and I had to unite us, as we would not have as much fun or improve if we did not move as one unit. I’m someone who can be friends with anyone, so I was at a good stage to hear out each player's problems. By supporting them and basically forcing the team to all hangout together, whether it be through warm ups, water breaks, or weekly team dinners, the walls slowly began to come down. We ended up hitting a winning streak and earned 2nd in state. It was amazing how we ended with a placement and as friends. I learned how important it is to bond as a team, even if you show up to practices with the intention of focusing on the sport. For the SWE executive board, I think it is very important to have trust in each member as that will let us be more productive and improve communication. If everyone is on the same page, the club will run smoothly, which is very important when our organization is so large. I know that it is important for me to do my job and that it is expected that everyone else does as well. By having that trust we will be a well-oiled machine that can be productive and still have fun together!

What is one change or new initiative you would like to implement in SWE next year and why?

I think that SWE Fams have been great to improve member retention and get freshmen more integrated into the club. I think it would benefit from cycling through each quarter, as I have noticed participating drops through the year. When everyone gets busy I think it can be harder to plan for large groups. Instead of basing the Fams on interests, I think that they should be groups of around 4, with 2 being returners and 2 being new members. With smaller groups it would be easier to plan and they would be changed at the start of each quarter. For anyone interested we can have a Google form to sign up in, which will make it more manageable if some members are too busy for a quarter to participate. I feel like this is such an easy way to get members to connect with one-another and build retention. Once you build relationships in a club you are a lot more motivated to attend events and feel like you belong.

What ideas do you have to increase member participation/retention and build stronger community within SWE?

I think it would be super fun to have weekly/biweekly “meetings” that are always focused on running and walking. It would be an easy way to organize (since there is no need to rent out a space) and would add some variety to the events that we offer! I think it is super important for STEM majors to have a space to socialize and destress, especially in the nice months when we can organize to be outside. There would be no pressure put on it and walking would be encouraged so anyone of any fitness level would show up. I’m not sure of the logistics, but I think it would be fun to actually host our own 5k at the end of each school year, that anybody at UW can participate in. It would not only be a great promotion for the club, but would give our members a chance to show off what they’ve been doing together! We could have it be a $5 buy in to raise money for the club and reward everyone for working hard on their classes.

What challenges do you think women in engineering still face today, and how can SWE help address them at our university?

I definitely think that imposter syndrome is a prevailing issue for women in engineering, especially when faced with difficult classes or a male-dominated workplace. I feel like a lot of media portrays “girlbosses” as these perfect specimens who are better than any man or woman in their department. While I think every woman is capable of being super successful, setting such a high standard makes even the most qualified doubt themselves. From personal experience, just talking with other women studying engineering has been so relieving, along with committing to positive self-talk each day. I think that SWE’s strongest attribute is creating a space for women to meet and the speakers that we bring in for meetings are super helpful in curbing any negative attitudes. I think that one addition could be encouraging/creating study groups or just times where a space is rented for members to go and do homework. This way, it is not only productive but allows for students to find others who may feel like they are struggling and help them boost each other.

The SWE executive board works as a team to plan events and initiatives. How would you contribute to creating a positive and productive team environment?

I am a very social person who always sees the positives out of any situation. When working in a group, I am good at easing frustrations and clearly communicating my goals. Everyone is on a tight schedule so I think that any meeting time set should be valued as much as possible so that we can get everything done. I love making new friends and always look forward to my meetings with the PR Committee, because not only are we able to accomplish our goals together but I get to spend time with them and learn more about the girls.

If you could plan any SWE event with unlimited resources, what would it be?

If I had unlimited resources I think it would be a super cool event to have a movie on the quad or even Denny Field. It would be related to engineering, science or even just a female centered movie like Little Women. By having it outside I feel like it leaves more room to socialize versus renting out a movie theater. We could supply dinner or snacks, and even have a speaker who may have experience involving the movie. There are many routes we could go with this but I think that, along with my running club idea, would encourage more socialization between members and a way to bring people back in during the spring because I feel like our engagement is the lowest in winter.