This narrative of WE Local Europe 2019 highlights was contributed by SWE Member Andra Groapa.
After a long and tiring journey, we finally landed in Berlin. This was my first time visiting this beautiful city, my first time attending a SWE conference, and my first time presenting at one. Unsurprisingly, I was nervous. Everything was new and I had no idea what to expect. Thoughts rushed through my head – “Will I enjoy the conference? Will anybody attend my presentation? Will I remember the script I practised over 1000 times?!”
We soon arrived at the hotel and all those thoughts went quiet. An ocean of smiling faces welcomed us. I was introduced to the SWE team and all the amazing participants and, as if by magic, my nerves vanished.
I felt at home. For the duration of my time at WE Local Europe in Berlin I felt comfortable, encouraged, safe, and supported. I never expected to feel so empowered from a conference.
“For the duration of my time at WE Local Europe in Berlin I felt comfortable, encouraged, safe, and supported. I never expected to feel so empowered from a conference.”
I can’t even begin to explain how insightful the talks were and how much those three days impacted me. Not only did I have the chance to develop my skills as a speaker, but the amount of new information that I took away with me was astonishing.
I won’t go into detail about the presentations themselves as I’m sure anybody who’s interested can find a summary of the topics online. However, I would like to talk about the experience overall.
I’ve been lucky enough to attend several conferences since I became an engineer, but none of them impacted me as much as WE Local Europe in Berlin. As well as being a highly professional event with a well-chosen selection of presentation topics, for me, the conference was a place where people came to connect.
“I’ve been lucky enough to attend several conferences since I became an engineer, but none of them impacted me as much as WE Local Europe in Berlin.”
I’m not just talking about networking – I’m talking about establishing genuine connections with like-minded individuals. We all shared a common purpose: to form a strong united front. Everybody was there to help each other, to encourage one another, to provide opportunities, and to connect on both a personal and professional level. I don’t think there’s a better place than SWE to find high profile female (and male) engineers that want to support you, teach you, and share their experiences and wisdom. I left the conference with an increased awareness of diversity and inclusion, and I felt better equipped to handle difficult situations relating to gender discrimination and unconscious bias.
“I don’t think there’s a better place than SWE to find high profile female (and male) engineers that want to support you, teach you, and share their experiences and wisdom.”
While SWE conferences are highly focused on career and personal growth, I also learned a great deal about how to more effectively balance my work life with my personal life. Additionally, I gained great insights into how to better care for my wellbeing without slowing my career growth. However, above all else, I came away with a lot more friends than when I arrived.
I attended the conference with fourteen other female engineers supported by Caterpillar. Despite most of us working at the same location, I must admit that, when we set off for the conference, I barely knew any of them. WE Local Europe in Berlin encouraged us to bond and build real personal connections. Approximately six months on and we’re now already planning for the next WE Local Europe and we’re trying to introduce more and more people to the ‘SWE Magic’.
So, if you still have any doubts about whether or not to attend a SWE conference, let me give you some advice. Just go for it! I promise you won’t regret it.
About the author:
Andra Groapa works as an Associate Engineer for Caterpillar in the UK. She is a simulation engineer, holding a master’s degree from Cranfield University in Computational Fluid Dynamics, and a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Manchester. She presented at WE Local Berlin 2019 about the ‘Future of CFD and Virtual Reality in engineering applications’ and is now a member of the WE Local Advisory Board, as well a Global Ambassador for SWE.
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