VIASAT, INC. < Back to all blogs
The percentage of women in the tech workforce is on a slow but steady rise. Women make up nearly 30% of today's tech employees, an improvement from years past but one that represents a still-yawning equality gap.
The greatest challenge women in tech cite are lack of opportunities for advancement, and close behind that reason are lack of female role models and mentorship.
On International Women's Day, several Viasat employees did their part to meet that need, participating in a program for high school students interested in potential technology careers. Women Who Inspire featured panels of women from several industries who shared their career journeys and work experiences with students from San Diego's Hoover High School.
Viasat was the lead sponsor for the virtual event, coordinated by the nonprofit Generation STEAM.
Based on comments by panelists, students, and organizers, Women Who Inspire was a win for both.
"Together, we touched the lives of 1,400 students through a day of thoughtful conversations," said Sara Pagano, managing director of Generation STEAM. "The day brought inspiration to so many young girls, showcasing what a future path could look like and highlighting to young boys the image of a strong female in industry, allowing them to share that respect and support among their female peers and family members. They also learned a bit about what a STEAM career looks like for any passionate student."
Viasat employees shared stories ranging from the nontraditional routes their career paths have taken to the importance of honesty and vulnerability in the workplace, and the applicability of engineering skills to multiple careers.
"There are so many fields and directions you can take with an engineering degree, it can be scary and overwhelming," said Anna Kochalko, a reliability engineering manager for Viasat. "Reliability engineering is not what I studied, but it's what I've come into in my career.
"An engineering degree can also feed into a law career, finance, consulting, or other fields. It teaches you how to think critically and logically and work through things, versus memorizing equations, formulas and vocabulary. It can provide you with a lot of options."
Jimmesha Lenhoff, a Viasat product manager, shared how she balances motherhood and an expanding career. Lenhoff holds a journalism degree and said she's been happily surprised by her career evolution.
"When I graduated college, I thought I was going to be the host of the Today show," she said. "I would never have imagined where I am now - interacting with engineers, software developers, and finance people.
"Part of what I wanted the students to take away was that you don't necessarily have to be an engineer or scientist to work in tech. I think my journey demonstrates that."
Lenhoff started with Viasat working in events and marketing, and worked her way up to product management. Along the way, she overcame an aversion to math.
"In the past, I was fearful of numbers, probably because I just didn't have a lot of exposure to it," she said. "But I took some classes and grew more and more confident. I'm finally to a place where I can have meaningful conversations and understand finances. It's a key part of what I do now in making decisions.
"I'm so glad it turned out the way it did, and that all those different leaders and managers continued to see things in me."
Femininity in the workplaceViasat software engineer Sophie D'Amico and Reign Howard, a systems integration engineering manager, emphasized that femininity and vulnerability are qualities that can and should be part of the workplace.
"I am a huge advocate for vulnerability and psychological safety in the workplace - where you can feel free to share what is on your mind, and how you feel without fear of repercussion, and with full acceptance," D'Amico said.
As a young female, she initially felt judged for her gender and age.
"I know it's not intentional, but women often get talked over in meetings," she said. "Every time I have spoken up about it, the response from my male coworkers is, 'I didn't even realize that was happening.' They respect me speaking up about it and have helped make changes.
"The first six months of my job, I didn't realize I could speak up. Now that I do, my quality of life is so much better."
D'Amico, who has sought mental health therapy, hasn't stayed silent about that decision either. She knows she is far from alone, and believes talking about it helps not only herself, but others.
"I've realized the more honest and vulnerable you are with somebody, the more likely you are to get that back from someone in return," she said. "And that helps build that support system and sense of psychological safety.
"It's absolutely something I think women can bring to the workplace. We bring and develop good soft skills that make the workplace a healthier, more open place to be."
Howard shared similar thoughts with the students she addressed.
"Initially, I felt I constantly had to prove myself to my male counterparts," Howard said. "You have to start looking at it as their problem; it's not for you to understand.
"Over the years, it just got to the point where I just didn't accept that challenge anymore, and began to feel secure knowing I was on the same level. Once I flipped that script, I was more comfortable embracing my femininity and my motherhood."
Howard said it's also possible to balance a happy home and a career. While she loves her work and has progressed steadily as a career woman, her family will always come first. A good employer, she told the students, will embrace those priorities, understanding that an employee with a balanced home life will produce quality work.
Howard also took an unconventional path to her current career, first spending several years in the military. She advised students not to feel pressure to make long-term career decisions.
"Don't feel like at 18 you have to map out the next 50 years of your life," she said. "Your life is a series of small decisions. Make the best ones for you at the time."
To watch the recordings of these panels, visit: https://lovestemsd.org/women-who-inspire
Viasat employee Emily Fitzgerald is hosting a series of 10 podcasts as part of the Women Who Inspire program, coming to Spotify soon. Learn more at: https://lovestemsd.org/women-who-inspire
SHARE THIS
STAY UP TO DATE WITH OUR LATEST NEWS
Attachments
- Original Link
- Original Document
- Permalink
Disclaimer
ViaSat Inc. published this content on 18 March 2022 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 18 March 2022 12:12:08 UTC.
