Society of Women Engineers

Fast Facts Location: Saratoga, California, USA Age Range: 13 – 18 years old Year Formed: 2022 Number of SWENexters: 30 Meet the Prospect Robotics SWENext Club We have an amazing mentor, Ms. Kahn, who supports us in everything we do. She always pushes us to try new things in the lab and helps us figure out how to solve problems whenever we get stuck.

With twice as many boys as girls on my robotics team and no female mentor, technical leadership was concentrated within a small, all-male friend group. In that environment, I was often assigned the peripheral task of organizing the electrical bench rather than contributing to the robot’s design. Avani T., Co-Founder of the SWENext Club at Saint Francis High School At first, I focused on proving myself by learning electronics and CAD so I could contribute more meaningfully.

At the Society of Women Engineers, we are proud to share the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community in STEM fields worldwide as they pursue their professional goals and inspire their community and allies across the globe. Check out these spotlighted individuals and their many contributions.

At the Society of Women Engineers, our efforts to help women engineers advance at every stage of their careers include several professional programs offered throughout the year. Among those is the Ignite Leadership Program, designed to empower early-career SWE members to become tomorrow’s SWE leaders. The virtual cohort-style program runs each fall, with applications opening in July.

Across industries, AI-enabled roles are expanding rapidly, with more than 1.3 million new AI-enabled jobs emerging worldwide, signaling not just growth in a single sector but a broader shift toward the “new collar” era of work. [1] In fact, research shows that over the next few years, approximately half of jobs in the U.S. will be reshaped by AI — altering tasks, required skills, and expectations.

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When you renew your Society of Women Engineers (SWE) membership for fiscal year 2027, which begins on July 1, 2026, consider whether membership with SWE and a partner organization might be right for you. SWE has partnerships with seven professional organizations that share a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in STEM.

On May 14, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) co-organized the Women Scientists Forum at the Gas Turbine Focus (GTF) Conference in Shanghai, China, bringing together leaders and technical experts from across aerospace, energy, aviation, and advanced manufacturing.

Throughout high school, Sally Ride has been one of my idols in STEM, not simply because she was many “firsts,” but because of her unique career. In 2025, her posthumous film premiered, which I watched through my Society of Women Engineers (SWE) membership. For those unfamiliar with her, Sally Ride (1951–2012) was the first American woman in space, the youngest American to ever fly in space, and a trailblazer in STEM.

Professional development in engineering is often seen as a straight path. My own career has followed a nonlinear journey that includes work across technical roles, a planned career break, and a structured return to work. My experience in the SWE Return to Work Program helped me realize that returning to the workforce is not about starting over, but about rebuilding confidence, refreshing skills, and growing professionally and personally.