Safia Sheerin Abdul Kadhar

I have to give it to the mentors and amazing people that I have met along the way. My dad always pushed me to go out there and advocate for myself, to move cross-country alone, to do this master's, to figure things out, everything, and then push myself to be a better person every day. I also want to give back. That is what I'm looking forward to. I always feel like what I had, I was given, I want to give it back to the early career group, youth who are exploring so many interests. I always see myself long-term in this mentorship responsibility, because that made a change when I was a student. I couldn't imagine having the money to go out and attend these amazing conferences where you can make valuable networking connections and everything, but one person sponsored me to an AEE workshop. So what goes around comes around, so I have to be the one sponsoring these young professionals to get out there and grab opportunities. I strive to become a good role model to my daughter as well, showing her that Mom is no less than Dad, who's also putting all she can on the table. If I keep doing these things, it's like I feel alive. For some time, when you don't use a muscle for some time, it forgets how it was functioning, so I need to talk, to write, to keep doing other things. Everything is a muscle that if it's not used, it gets weaker.

There was advice I mean, no harm in asking. It's okay. The worst they can say is no. Yeah, there's always like there's no harm, you're losing nothing in asking questions, asking for things, anything in general. It doesn't take anything, the maximum, the worst that can happen is they say no. I learned this the hard way, because I also feel like women in general, they don't have strong negotiation skills when it comes to salary, when it comes down to addressing the pay equity and maternity leave policy. We always feel a little bit of shame when we do that. So that's the thing that's resonating with me. Go ask. That was really strong advice. They might say no, maybe not the right time, no this is not what we are offering at the moment, but you brought it out instead of just thinking after some time, thinking it back, I mean maybe I should have done this, maybe it should have been done.

Don't let it be preconceived as a male-dominated industry stop you. When I picked my bachelor's major in electronics and instrumentation, mostly like power plant instrumentation, I was always asked how you can go out there wearing hard hats and everything in this male-dominated field, but it didn't stop me. I don't think it should stop anyone else, because when you go out there, you are exposed to a lot of things that you cannot read from the books. You get that experience. Then you can choose what you want. Then if you are not okay with this industry, then you can move and get what you want, but that is important. Time is of the essence, right? So when you can make the right choices, don't be afraid to take risks, I would say, because everyone will have an opinion, and what matters is yours. You will be the first and people follow. Don't be afraid to advocate for yourself, whether it's seeking leadership opportunities, mentorship, or addressing things like salary and pay equity. Go ask. The worst they can say is no.

Right now, I think we are in a good space. I've been fortunate with the hiring process that I've been facing so far, the recruitment, or even when I switched careers. I haven't had any bad experience, but I've heard from a lot of people that they go through a lot of things. They have faced bias and everything, but I was fortunate enough to not experience that firsthand, but I wouldn't dismiss that it's not happening. I think we are more forthcoming and thinking about these support groups, diversity councils, those things within the organizations, so we make sure that even though we are not doing it unknowingly, people are tuned to make certain things, make certain comments without thinking about what the other person might feel. I'm fortunate and I'm happy that we are already having these support groups. There are many groups on LinkedIn, there are groups within the companies itself who regroup and talk about the essential things, how to handle microaggressions, how are you feeling, those kinds of things. We are in a good space right now, but there is a lot of work to do, for sure. Women still face challenges including balancing professional and family responsibilities. I have a young daughter at home, and ultimately for the comfort and all the day-to-day things like feeding and giving her a bath, everything, I am the dedicated parent. Mothers take a break, and when we come after the break, it's all like you start fresh. It's highly competitive. It's about the time and equity and equality, the resources that we have in hand, how much can we dedicate towards career growth while balancing family and everything. Also, here childcare is non-existent. It's so costly, it's so expensive, that we have to throw ourselves at work to even do the bare minimum childcare. There's a lot of things that happen during childbearing years for women, and those are also primarily our hustling years, right? Because we have more responsibilities. At the same time, I see tremendous opportunities for women to shape the future of clean energy, sustainability, and technological innovation through the work we're doing with emerging technologies like DC nanogrids and energy-efficient solutions.

Family is very important to me. My family is here, so fortunately my mother-in-law is taking turns, and they also want to be involved in my daughter's life, so they are taking off that motherly load from me a bit from 9 to 5, and then I get back to my mom mode. So that gives me a little bit of breathing space, knowing that she is well cared for within the family. That puts me at ease to go and conquer contracts, to go and fight and advocate for myself. Mentorship and giving back is central to my life. I always feel like what I had, I was given, I want to give it back to the early career group. I always see myself long-term in this mentorship responsibility. I strive to become a good role model to my daughter, showing her a successful woman, that Mom is no less than Dad. Self-care is essential. You cannot help others when your cup is empty, if you are not taking care of things. The best thing that you can do for my daughter or for myself is to take care of myself, because if I empty my cup out, I won't have the energy to make a change outside, make a change within the family, or even at work. My husband gives me this reality check, saying did you do something for yourself this week? Even if it's a small thing, it is that sense of I got it covered, I know what I'm doing. So prioritize yourself. End of the day, doing a small 5-minute or 10-minute slow yoga or journaling, which keeps you feeling good about yourself, so that you can take on the next day. Sustainability and innovation are core to my work. I'm passionate about healthy materials, advocating for healthy housing, affordability, making meaningful contributions through energy-efficient technologies. Women helping women is always a priority for me. Be kind, be understanding, because one little compliment or one little help or referral goes a long way and changes entire communities of people.