A few weeks ago, I was given an assignment to interview a Woman in STEM I aspire to be like by my Living Learning Community (Women In Science and Engineering Residency Program) seminar. Just as I was overwhelmed as to how I would come up with a list of potential interviewees, Kim Harrington, Belcan’s Chief Information Officer, gave a powerful talk titled “Navigating the Skies of Commercial Aviation Economics” in my Intro to the Aerospace Enterprise course.

Beyond the amazing insights into the intricate design and engineering behind the success of an airframe, I was captivated by how kind and approachable Mrs. Harrington was — from mentioning that she liked baking on her intro slide to patiently answering our countless questions at the end of the presentation. This approachability ultimately gave me the courage to ask her for an interview.

Upon my asking, Mrs. Harrington quickly agreed to the interview and even gave me her business card to discuss the matter further. It took all the strength I had to keep myself from just screaming in excitement.

We scheduled our interview for the following Friday, September 22, 2023, at 11:30 AM. In the days leading up to the interview, I scoured the internet looking for interview tips, potential interview questions, and maybe even did a little bit of research on Mrs. Harrington’s career.

In the minutes leading up to the interview, I started panicking — I was about to interview the CIO of Belcan. What if I mess up? Will I sound stupid? Am I even qualified to talk to her?

But when the call started, a warm greeting from Mrs. Harrington melted away my doubts. Our conversation started with her academic journey: how she decided to major in electrical engineering. Upon entering Purdue University, Mrs. Harrington had actually wanted to pursue mechanical engineering. However, while she was interning at Whirlpool, the washing machines she was testing kept breaking. Just as she was struggling to figure out why, a few electrical engineers came by, reprogrammed the sensors, and the problem was fixed in about 15 minutes. This almost magical ability inspired her to pursue electrical engineering, and the next year, she was the one with the magical fingers as she wrote the programs and burned them into the chips.

Mrs. Harrington’s career also followed a nonlinear path. Upon graduation, Mrs. Harrington worked as a field engineer. Despite enjoying her work, she found the job to be too lonely as she spent days driving alone in the middle of nowhere. Afterward, she was given the opportunity to work at General Electric where she literally did the impossible as she led a team to identify the reasons behind engine failures and even predict engines that would fail within a short six weeks. Mrs. Harrington then moved to the commercial aviation industry. While that was never the industry she targeted, she is grateful that she ended up there because she really loves her work. Her passion is evident not only by her words but also the glow in her eyes as she talked about her work and the captivating presentation she delivered to our class.

While I am fairly certain that I want to pursue a dual degree in aerospace engineering and computer science and a career in research, hearing about her academic and career paths reassured me that it’s okay if it feels like I am deviating from the linear path that I had envisioned and inspired me embrace the ambiguity of the future and look for those magical moments that perhaps give me the opportunity to work in a field that I am passionate about.

Beyond sharing about her career, Mrs. Harrington also shared some wonderful insights about navigating the workspace as a woman in engineering. She emphasized the importance of having your voice be heard and to focus on contributing to the task at hand. She also provided a tip to use declarative statements when speaking. That is definitely something I will be working on because growing up in California, I have a tendency to pull a Valley Girl accent whenever I am nervous.

Outside of the workspace, Mrs. Harrington is able to make time for her hobbies and family. To find a good work-life balance, Mrs. Harrington shared that she tries to work smart rather than brute force and work hard. However, she did admit that at times, she feels like she is scrambling and barely holding on, but she assures everyone will feel that way at some point, and it’s important to just hold on and keep going. While it may sound contradicting, she finds that learning something new helps her recharge when she’s burned out.

Our meeting concluded with fun conversations about baking — Mrs. Harrington is currently baking her way through Britain with Paul Hollywood’s recipe book — the brutal Midwest winters, etc. It was exciting to discover our shared love for baking (over cooking) and dislike of the cold. The latter of which, Mrs. Harrington advised taking Vitamin D supplements early to combat seasonal depression.

Even from just an hour of talking to Mrs. Harrington, I have learned so much — from accepting the unexpected paths that my academic and career path can take to new ways of finding work-life balance. I have already started taking my vitamin D’s and am working to contribute as much as I can to each project at hand and have my voice be heard. I will persist through difficult times knowing that I am not alone.

In just over a week, I will be starting a new chapter of my life: college. As I pack eighteen years’ worth of belongings into two carry-on suitcases, two check-in backs, and a backpack, I cannot help but to be reminded of the memories behind each item—the headphones that served me throughout online school, the dance shoes that have accompanied me on every performance, the mug my best friend gave me for my eighteenth birthday.

Most of these memories are of high school—doing chemistry over zoom, studying for AP tests with friends, going out way too much after hitting that last submit button on my college applications.

High school was the biggest time of growth for me (so far). I transformed from a shy girl who sat quietly in the back of the classroom to the one who willingly claimed the front row seat and was no longer afraid to ask questions. Yes, that might have partly been Zoom school destroying my ability to see the board from the back of the room, but I do like to think that I developed some courage as I find myself getting more comfortable approaching teachers for questions—not to mention that I continued claiming the front row seats after getting night contacts.

Beyond my classroom participation, high school also taught me to actively search for study techniques that work for me. APUSH taught me how to annotate articles, Analysis shoed me how practice tests can help prepare for exams, Calculus taught me that index cards are incredibly useful for learning and remembering formulas, Econ revealed that study guides on card stock paper is a good way to review for exams, and AP Lit taught me to thoroughly highlight and annotate a work of literature to pick up on its nuances. While every class requires different study techniques, I am grateful for the experience high school gave me in finding some of these techniques, and I hope to carry this experience with me as I navigate my study habits in college.

However, learning does often come with regrets, and I am not exception. My high school experience had its fair share of regrets, with the two biggest being not continuing to compete in dance and not exploring clubs earlier.

1) Not continuing to dance competitively. I have been learning Chinese Classical Dance since preschool and have continued it to this day. However, around my junior year, I succumbed to parental pressure to quit competitive dance and settled for solo performances once a year at my studio’s annual showcase. As someone who relishes being on stage, I miss the opportunity to share that experience with my teammates in group choreographies and to feel the rush of adrenaline backstage during dance competitions.

2) Not exploring clubs earlier. When I entered high school, I could not name a single person that I knew very well, which made club meetings feel intimidating as I amidst the various cliques. In my junior year, I mustered the courage to join Gunn Aeronautics Associations. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I built a rocket for the first time, learned to use the maker space’s equipment, and found a group of supportive peers who shared my interest in engineering. I have gained so much from that club—if onlyI had joined sooner.

Ultimately, these regrets and learning experiences have shaped who I am in the present. As I embark on the next chapter of my life, I hope to carry these important lessons with me. More importantly, I hope to not leave behind more regrets.