Tina Wen

Background in SWE:

I began joining SWE activities last academic year (my sophomore year) and immediately loved how welcoming and supportive the SWE community was. I attended different SWE events such as the general meetings and Sweets with Industry, becoming more introduced to the different opportunities that SWE had to offer. I also joined the SWE panda fam where I was able to meet and connect with new people who were also a part of SWE. Wanting to become even more involved, I joined the membership branch of SWE at the end of last academic year (2024-25) as a recruitment director. Being a recruitment director has been an incredible experience that has given me tremendous leadership experience from planning Dawg Daze events, hosting mochinut fundraisers, and communicating with other SWE officers. It has taught me a lot about being proactive, organized, and flexible through communication and interacting as a team.

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?

A leadership experience that challenged me was handling our Bracelets & Boba dawg daze event since there was more than double the amount of attendance than we had initially expected. With this increase in attendance, it was difficult to distribute materials smoothly, coordinate where people would sit with room capacity and communicate to everyone the same information. This experience taught me that maintaining a level mindset is significant in handling unexpected circumstances, it is important to stay mindful of the way you interact with others, and divvying up tasks in crucial to helping things run smoothly. On SWE’s executive board, this would show up as making sure communication is clear across the team, listening to team officer suggestions, showing up professionally, and staying flexible even when you encounter unexpected events.

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

One change I would implement is a bigger push for SWE families and opening up opportunities to join since I believe it is a great way to foster new connections and meet new people. I think that starting SWE families at the beginning of the school year and opening up the application to join each quarter would be great for those who were unable to make it at other times of the school year.

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

Ideas I have to increase member participation and build community within SWE is hosting more social events for people to engage with. Outside of the academic and professional events that are amazing, I think that opportunities to talk with and create new relationships would be great for community bonding. I have seen a liking especially to craft events, so I think that crafting nights such as card making, painting, or clay could be possible events that people would have fun with while meeting new people.

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

I think that women in engineering still face tremendous challenges in engineering related to imposter syndrome and professional confidence. I think we can help address it by having women speakers, networking opportunities, and mentorship opportunities.

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 would contribute to creating a positive and productive team environment by making sure that everyone feels safe to express their thoughts and opinions without fear of judgment. This could look like giving space and time for everyone to voice their mind, actively listening, and remembering details. Additionally, just overall being mindful and respectful while also getting through agenda points on an appropriate timeline.

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

A campfire night!