Hailee Hoffman (she/her) is the founder of the SWE Athlete Affinity Group. She graduated from Stanford University, where she was a member of the gymnastics team, and from the University of British Columbia. She now works full-time as a mechanical engineer and part-time as a personal trainer.
What’s the Most Unexpected or Amusing Connection You’ve Discovered Between Athletics and Engineering in Your Own Experiences?
Gaining a greater understanding into the intricate physics and dynamics involved in gymnastics, such as the precise angles of takeoffs and landings and the mechanisms orchestrating the transfer of energy, has given me a deep admiration for the human body as a finely tuned engineering system. It also has unexpectedly made the sport feel a lot more daunting and almost scarier for me in a way — but in a sense of awe at the profound difficulty in mastering its complexities. It’s amusing to me that studying engineering has made me both a better and more challenged athlete.
What Personal Experiences Drove You to Believe in the Potential Impact of Bringing These Two Communities Together?
As a student athlete at Stanford, I quickly realized that there are many unique challenges associated with being an athlete alongside school or a career in STEM, such as managing school or work responsibilities with athletic responsibilities and communicating with professors or your managers about traveling for games and with coaches regarding school and/or work obligations. As the only athlete and the only engineer in my family, it was hard to know who to turn to for advice in navigating both the sport and engineering worlds, and I think it would have been a lot easier learning to manage these things with a community that truly understands these unique challenges.
In addition, many STEM majors retire from their sport to pursue school and work, often after being an athlete for many years of their life and developing an athletic identity. Retirement from sports can be a really difficult transition for many athletes. People who have gone through any big life transition can understand and empathize with this facet of the community, and I think a really interesting component of this group can be supporting and mentoring each other through similar difficult life transitions.
What’s Your Favorite Way to Stay Fit, and How Does It Complement Your Work in Engineering (and Vice Versa)?
Now that I’m retired from gymnastics, I really love finding new fun ways to stay fit, like hiking, skiing, and weightlifting. My workouts have transitioned from a more aesthetics-focused, mandatory 20+ hours per week to a more holistic approach in which I focus on prioritizing feeling strong and healthy. I find that fitness and my engineering work are mutually beneficial. Working out increases my overall energy level, resilience, and focused and determined approach to goals, as well as reduces stress and mental clutter — all greatly positively impacting my job performance. I’m currently working as a personal trainer part-time, and I absolutely love having the opportunity to teach people how empowering athletics can be and help them figure out how athletics can best fit into their lives.
As a Founder, How Do You See the Group Evolving and Making a Lasting Impact in the Broader Community of Athletes and Engineers?
I would really love for the Athletes Affinity Group to greatly contribute to the professional and personal development of its members and serve as a long-lasting, multi-generational network of support and mentorship, as well as a place to share resources with each other.
I envision the AG will aid in the empowerment of athletic women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering and technology professions as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion, including those who identify as athletes. As an organized and established affinity group within SWE, I hope we can perform more outreach opportunities via athletic outlets for young athletes and aspiring women in STEM, and encourage future generations of athletes to pursue engineering alongside athletic pursuits.
Grace Vander Griend (she/her) is the co-founder of the SWE Athletes Affinity Group and a mechanical engineering major and undergraduate researcher at the University of Washington, where she is also on the women’s rowing team.
Do You Have Any Role Models or Mentors Who Inspired You in Both the Athletic and Engineering Aspects of Your Life?
On the rowing team, most of my teammates are in highly demanding majors that require constant effort to experience success, similar to the sport of rowing. Watching many of the women around me work hard on a daily basis inspires me to do the same, but also provides a sense of comfort that the people around me are working to balance the same things that I am, and it also reminds me that it is possible to do both and do them well.
Specific people on my team would be two women, also mechanical engineering majors, who are two years above me. They were both very high-achieving, participating in extracurriculars in addition to both rowing and school — all the while maintaining status on the dean’s list and even perfect GPAs on a regular basis. Although they set out big shoes to fill, it’s inspirational to see that following your interests and getting involved while staying on top of athletics and school is possible.
How Do You Envision This Group Fostering Collaboration and Connection Between Athletes and Engineers?
I believe opening a space for empowered women to share their experiences on dealing with the hardships of balancing both school and athletics, as well as extend advice to those who seek it, is incredibly valuable. Doing both is incredibly difficult, so having tools to do both well and learn from others could help younger female engineers reach their highest potential.
Share a Funny or Memorable Story From Your Time Participating in Athletics or Working on an Engineering Project.
A memorable story from my athletics journey was getting in a pair, a two-person boat, for the very first time. I had been rowing in a single-person boat prior to this and still wasn’t comfortable with the idea of floating on top of the water with two long sticks to stabilize me; so, depending on another person now to prevent the boat from flipping and landing us both in the water was very intimidating. However, the calming nature of the other girl in my boat helped me realize that I was going to be okay and that I just needed to have some more confidence in myself and her that we were going to be able to do this and that we had each other.
What’s Something Upcoming in Your Year for Athletics and/or Engineering That You’re Looking Forward To?
I’m looking forward to working towards helping my team achieve a national championship title — something we fell just short of last season, earning national runner-up. Given the work ethic and the group of high achieving individuals on my team, I believe we possess the ability to see this goal become a reality.
As for engineering, I’m excited to begin working on my senior capstone project. As the projects are mostly all sponsored, I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned and take away valuable work experience from working on this project.
What’s a Non-Engineering Related Passion or Hobby That Brings You Joy and Balance in Your Life?
I really enjoy reading and try to make time for it as much as I can. I also love being outside and hanging out with friends!
Thanks for reading and please feel free to reach out to us at athletes-ag@swe.org to say hello! Opt into the group email list by logging into your member portal and updating your Communication Preferences.
