SWE

So, I've been a pretty avid member of SWE (Society of Women Engineers) in my years at school here at UW-Milwaukee. I've been an officer for two years in a row, the last year being Vice President. The president and I overhauled our section by a long shot, skyrocketing membership and funding and being a part of 10 UWM girls attending to the national conference/career fair in Nashville, TN, last October. (The archives of this blog will remind you that this Nashville trip landed me my current job with Nissan.)

Long story short: I'm a SWE-aholic and I owe it to them for being at Nissan this summer.

Seems like they feel they still owe me something??

Back in March of this year the WI president came knocking at my email inbox and requested I whip together a personal statement and numerous recommendation letters. She wanted me to be nominated for some SWE Midwest Region award. It's basically where one girl, ONE GIRL, wins this recognition award out of all the MN-IA-WI-IL-MI-Dakotas SWE locations.

It was a LONG shot (especially when knowing I would be going head-to-head with the bitches from Ann Arbor, MI - ask me about them sometime!), and I actually had a few days there where I simply emailed the president to say, "Thanks but no thanks, I know I don't even stand a chance."

Well, she conned me into it nonetheless, and although I won't find out if I won until THIS year's conference/career fair in Baltimore, MD, she is already gunning to take me to the next level.

The, um, national level.

Yeah. Where six girls, out of ALL 50 STATES, are able to win. I don't even know what to say! Are you KIDDING me, and should I even GO FOR IT?? I thought I didn't have a chance when the pool was only up to seven states - and now 50?!?!?!? (I suppose after doing the math that the stakes are about equal.... 50/6 is just a little more than 8....so there's a winner for every 9 states, really........)

She plopped this goal down upon me by again mauling my email inbox. My palms got so sweaty from being nervous/excited when I read her initial prompt, that I could barely finish maneuvering my laptop mouse to read the rest of the email chain.

"There's a member I want to make sure gets nominated for the national collegiate member award this next year, but I have a question about the timing. The nominations are due around March, but this gal will graduate in December. Will she still qualify? I sure hope so, since she is amazing. I can't imagine her not winning."

*Snorts* We'll see about that.......


Crap I have a lot of work to do now to prepare this. Winning a national award???? Come ON! I'd be fine with getting a free cookie or ice cream cone instead......?

I suppose a national-sized cookie would be just as sweet. :) :) Let's do this!