Jacquelin Abdelmalek

I would say it would be two things. Mostly, surrounding myself with like-minded people. I think that really provides the support, psychologically and actual support. For example, if there's a certain pursuit that I have internally at a company, like with the stretch assignments, if there's something that I really wanted, I tried my best to surround myself with the right people who were like-minded in that sense. I also think being able to still pursue things that are fulfilling to you is important. For me, I'm a huge STEM advocate, or STEAM - science, technology, engineering, art, and math. I have tried to either participate in STEAM-related activities that exist at a company, like community outreach programs, working with schools, fighting for representation. And if it didn't exist, then I would try to advocate for those partnerships to happen at a company. I did that with my last company, my last role, which was a startup. They were very small, so they didn't have any sort of budget aside to participate in any sort of volunteerism or community outreach, but I had made recommendations for us to kind of showcase that we do care about our community, we care about women being represented well, and working with middle school and high school kids.

I think one thing that stuck out to me was that I was told once that I should remain focused on what my ultimate goal is. That may be at the same company, it may be where I'm in pursuit of consulting, or something else - whatever my goal is, to remain focused on that goal, and whatever steps I take in my career is still in consideration of that goal. I think this is important because it's very easy to lose sight of that, especially when life gets more complicated. I know I have a lot of friends who start building their family, and what that goal was that they wanted to pursue before marriage and kids sort of went off on the side. So, I think that's something that's important to me - that no matter what, and whatever comes my way, that I am still keeping my focus on the ultimate goal.

I would advise young women entering the industry to keep their long-term goals front and center, surround themselves with like-minded peers and supportive mentors, and actively advocate for representation and outreach in STEM and STEAM fields. Using your voice and pursuing your goals despite challenges is key to growth and impact.

The biggest challenge in my field is that women remain underrepresented in technical roles like engineering. At the same time, the evolving medical device and combination products industry offers opportunities for growth, career transitions—including into pharmaceuticals—and the chance to leverage networking for advancement.

The values that are most important to me in my work are mentorship, representation, and community engagement, especially in promoting STEAM fields for underrepresented groups. In my personal life, I prioritize creativity, connection, and joy—expressed through my bridal makeup business, playing piano, and finding ways to celebrate and support others. Balancing technical pursuits with creative outlets helps me stay fulfilled and focused.