Alexis Ess ’22 and Jesenya Olivas ’23 are
true digital natives. They have never known a
world in which the internet did not provide people with instant access to,
well, nearly anything. That has shaped not only their understanding of the
world, but of what they want their place in it to be, namely, leaders in the
field of technology. Both Ess and Olivas are deeply aware of the threats
inherent in tech today, from ransomware to identity theft to so-called phising attacks. The cybersecurity
majors plan to dedicate their careers to ensuring that technology is safe for
everyone to use, from individuals online at home to employees at the world’s large
corporations. They understand that as good technology advances, so does the bad.
For Ess it is as simple as this: “I want to keep people safe.”
An innovative new program called Stempower may aid her in doing
just that.
Founded by Le Moyne alumna Terri Mitchell ’85 and Director of the Office of Career Advising
and Development Meredith Tornabene, Stempower helps
women who are studying science, technology, engineering or
math, like Ess and Olivas, build a sense of community, increase their
self-confidence and find their career paths. For Mitchell, the enterprise is
deeply personal. She spent three decades working in information technology before
retiring at vice president, IBM. In that time, she grew increasingly concerned
about the dearth of women in the field. (While women hold approximately 47
percent of the nation’s jobs, they hold just 24 percent of the STEM jobs.) Since
her retirement in 2018, she has dedicated herself to ensuring that the next
generation of women will be able to avail themselves of opportunities to become
leaders in the STEM arena, and to learn about everything from business
etiquette to confidence and self-promotion to risk, reward, and resiliency.
“It as simple as
this: Women need role models in their field,” she said. “They need to make
connections and hear the stories of others. Mentors provide them with support
and guidance on everything from which classes they should take to which
internships they should consider pursuing. They model the resilience that is
needed in college by demonstrating their ability to handle challenges and
setbacks.”
Not surprisingly,
mentorship is now a key component of Stempower. Freshmen and second-year
students work closely with a member of the junior or senior class who is
trustworthy, available and invested in their success. In addition to the
mentorship they receive from other students, they also work closely with world-class
scholars who also care deeply about them, and take advantage of opportunities
outside of the classroom to engage in personal and professional development. Ess said the program has help her “to learn
and grow in ways I could not possibly have imagined.”
The
program is already having a significant impact. An overwhelming majority of
participants in the pilot program reported that Stempower bolstered their sense
of belonging to a community and contributed to their confidence in their
future. They cited forming relationships with other women in STEM and learning
how to promote themselves professionally among the program’s key benefits,
along with being able to work with a strong female mentor. In addition, they
enjoyed engaging with a range of employers in the field, including Lockheed
Martin, Bristol Myers Squibb and the U.S. Health Service.
For
their part, Mitchell and Tornabene hope that Stempower alumnae will not only
enjoy rewarding, meaningful careers, but that they will be able to pay it
forward to others in the future.
Olivas has already begun to think about how she
can do just that. While
her immediate goal after graduation is to go to work for an advanced
technologies company like Lockheed Martin or for a government entity like the
Department of Homeland Security, she would eventually branch off and start her
own company or a nonprofit to provide girls in high school with the support and
materials they need to achieve their dreams in STEM.
“Nothing
is stronger than when women come together to support one another in their
dreams which is why I continue to be a part of Stempower,” she says.