Savannah Williams

I would definitely put it to how I was raised. When I was younger, my parents absolutely pushed me to try everything and to always give it my 110%. I have literally done just about every sport you can name - I was in wrestling, track and field, ballet, cheerleading, whatever. I was also in band and in advanced art classes. They just pushed me to do everything that I was ever interested in. Even now, we have regular family events where we'll go and volunteer. There's an event called Christmas Anonymous that I've been volunteering at for as long as I remember. It's definitely thanks to how my parents took care of me. My dad was a Boy Scout leader, and my mom was a Girl Scout leader, and we still did a lot of other stuff, too. So scouts are in my blood - that's in my DNA.

The best advice I've ever received came from my dad. He used to say to me a lot, and I carry this through absolutely everything I do: if you are going to do something, do it to where you'd be proud enough to put your name on it. Be proud to say, hey, I did that, and not be ashamed of it. This advice embodies commitment, dedication, and honesty, which are my biggest values.

Any advice that I would give to women trying to get into engineering would probably be to give it a try. Try and get your hands a little dirty. That's the best you could do. Yes, it is a lot of math, but so long as you can visualize things and understand how components build from the ground up, you will do fantastic things if you put your mind to it. If you’re out there and doing things whether it be a job or volunteering, people will see that and talk with you. From there you can start networking and discover opportunities you may never get from your bed.

The biggest challenge in engineering right now is getting your foot in the door. There are so many people trying to do this, and it is a male-dominated field. It is kind of difficult to get your name out there, find opportunities to showcase your talents, and show what you can do for other companies. However, the biggest opportunity is networking and actually communicating with people. I've found that I have a lot more connections when I do my volunteering, whether it be through my engineering club or other opportunities that Austin Peay has provided. Through operating their robot dog at events, I've talked with a whole bunch of different people who were employers. I'm also on a council that has employers, professors, and students all talking with each other to figure out what is needed for the college to teach in order to be ready for the workforce. Talking with people and actually communicating is probably the best way that I have gotten many opportunities.

My biggest value is honesty. This could be when talking to people or when doing work. Growing up I was always taught to do things in a way that makes you proud to say you did it. That has helped me make sure to do my best in everything I try. When it comes to the people I surround myself with I also value honesty over most other things. That way you can get the full picture and understand each other in a whole other way.