Pranati Dani

Why are you running for this executive position?

What’s your favorite SWE experience? Personally, mine was at my first SWE Community Outreach Bonding event last year. We spent the entire evening playing board games and talking about our college experiences, and instantly, the people who I had never known before became some of my best friends. The past three years, as an outreach member, VP of Community Outreach the next year, and treasurer this year, I have continued to feel that community and friendship at every event. This year, I got the chance to join the executive trio and got a new perspective into how SWE works and how we plan events. Next year, I would love to take on the role of secretary, to experience a different part of the exec trio and implement in new ideas. As secretary, I want to be able to tie together SWE a bit better. We are a large organization, with many different teams, and I want to build an end of quarter magazine that comprises all these different events and initiatives into one purpose, so that our members can understand the unity that SWE brings. Through my time in SWE, I have also noticed that many members want to join SWE in the middle of the year, however, don’t find a place or leadership opportunities. As Secretary, I would work to bring this into our structure, so that members can join at any point in the quarter and have different places to be involved in. I also strongly feel that I have the skills needed for this role. I have been able to lead large teams through being VP of CO and have managed budgets this year as treasurer, showcasing organization and leadership. Communication is also vital as secretary, and this year I also have been able to work with other RSOs, such as the PM club this past year for the SWE GM, and plan events, which really showcases my strong communication and collaboration. I hope to continue to be in SWE next year and I am excited to have the chance to continue to work with everyone next year!

What is your past involvement with SWE at UW?

My love for teaching and education is what led me to join SWE, and SWE was absolutely the perfect way for me to continue this passion. Freshmen year, I served as a part of SWE Explore and I loved getting to plan different activities and most importantly, getting to meet and connect with girls at schools such as Showalter middle school. The experience was irreplaceable. One of my favorite memories is after a lesson we taught on chromatography, the students asked us so many questions regarding UW and the programs here, and we genuinely felt the impact that SWE had on them. My experience with SWE Explore led me to run to be the Vice President of Community Outreach last year. As VP, I ran, along with the team, 4 programs: middle school outreach, high school outreach, 2-year transfer outreach, and virtual contents. I learned how to prioritize and strategically decide how programs will be structured, how to organize large events like the Engineering Exploration Conference with over 80 participants, and most importantly, how to be a leader and manage 5 officers and over 30 committee members. This year, I ran and was treasurer for our SWE chapter. Being a part of the executive trio was a unique experience and taught me so much about SWE’s organization, management, and thinking more about the bigger picture for UW SWE. As treasurer, I’ve built efficient budgeting plans, have significantly reduced the cost of our events, and have raised a significant amount of money through fundraisers I organized. Lastly, I’ve also been a consistent member of our community. From participating in all our SWE general meetings, helping plan many of them as well, and participating in other branch’s activities, SWE has helped me join an amazing group of people who support me both socially and academically. Thank you all for a great community and I am excited for what is in store for SWE next year!