Black History Month invites us to remember, but remembrance alone is not enough. In engineering, history is not just something we look back on, it is something we continue to construct. Every project we lead. Every system we design. Every young engineer we mentor. This is why SWE affinity groups (AG) are important; they help facilitate building community, developing leaders, and helping members feel seen. Especially in a period where many companies are pulling back on their diversity programs.
On Feb. 20, at WE Local Austin, the session “Voices of Belonging: Stories From SWE Affinity Group Leaders” explored how affinity groups build connections across personal identities, geography, and career stages. As the African American Affinity Group lead, I resonate with the message that “belonging is not a feeling you wait for, but something you create on purpose.”
SWE has many ways to engage with others, from sections/affiliates to annual and regional conferences. Affinity groups, though, offer something uniquely powerful — community not limited by location. The African American AG is built to support members who may be navigating:
- Being the only (or one of the few) Black engineers on their team.
- Career growth without access to informal networks.
- The desire for mentorship that understands both technical goals and cultural realities.
We are a space that also welcomes allies, because building belonging is a shared responsibility, especially in engineering.
What Belonging Looks Like in Real Life
One of my favorite parts leading an AG is seeing familiar faces return. It is powerful when someone attends an event quietly for the first time and then comes back again for another event and engages more comfortably — maybe by turning their camera on, or asking a question, or even offering to help. Over time, that person isn’t just “attending,” they are connected and building belonging within the affinity group.
Belonging looks like:
- Someone saying, “I thought it was just me,” either internally or audibly during an event with a discussion forum.
- Someone gaining confidence after hearing another member’s story.
- Someone getting their resume reviewed and landing an interview.
- Someone realizing leadership is possible for them right now, not later.
Affinity Group Pillars
The collective mission of SWE’s 22 affinity groups is to bring together communities that share similar interests and backgrounds that support the rooted in the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) strategic goals of SWE. These affinity groups are organized into three pillars: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Affinity Groups, Business and Interest Affinity Groups, and Career Stages Affinity Groups. Membership in any SWE affinity group is open to all SWE members, including allies, interested in participating.
Drilling down into the aforementioned pillars, each leader from their respective pillars will highlight the subsequent groups included and lead a conversation to grow the audience’s understanding of what communities are available along with their benefits.
The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Affinity Groups are focused on the needs of socially diverse populations and support initiatives tailored to serve these communities.
- African-American
- Asian Connections
- DisAbility Inclusion
- First Generation Students & Professionals
- HeForSWE
- Indigenous Peoples
- Latinos
- LGBTQ+ and Allies
- Military & Veterans
The Business and Interests Affinity Groups are loosely centered around the members’ business environment and career experiences.
- Entrepreneurs
- Global Women Engineers
- Public Policy
- SWE Athletes
- SWE Members in Small Businesses
- Technical Career Path
- Women in Government
- Women Engineers in Government Contractor Careers
The Career Stages Affinity Groups represent members at different stages of their working life, from higher education, to starting off in the workplace, and advancing from there.
- Community Colleges
- Early Career Professionals
- GradSWE
- Late Career and Retiree
- Mid-Career Professionals
Professional Growth Without the Pressure
Another theme of the panel discussion is that affinity groups provide professional development in a way that’s both meaningful and safe.
SWE leadership provides:
- Real project experience (planning events, managing communications, building partnerships).
- Opportunities to present and facilitate.
- Mentoring and peer coaching.
Affinity groups are described as “safe spaces,” because you are able to learn among people who want you to win without affecting your job security or reputation.
Why This Matters Right Now
As workplace DEIB initiatives and ERGs have been scaled back, reorganized, or dismantled across industries, this new reality leaves gaps, especially for underrepresented engineers who relied on those spaces for community, advocacy, and mentorship.
Affinity groups help fill those gaps by offering:
- Continuity: it doesn’t disappear due to major life changes.
- National and global connections.
- Mentorship that understands lived experience.
- A place to lead and grow regardless of company culture.
Real Talk: Growing Pains, Leadership Gaps, and New Groups
Following the panel discussion, the Q&A session offered more insight on AG structures.
An audience member shared a common frustration: not receiving emails from affinity groups. While another expressed interest in a broad affinity group for women and allies in education (i.e. lecturers, advisors). These questions assisted in highlighting the reality behind the scenes:
- Some affinity groups have leadership gaps.
- SWE has been navigating organizational restructuring.
- Launching new groups requires sustainability planning, not just interest.
Within that restructuring, SWE has pathways for new affinity groups, such as “Incubator Groups” and “Connect Groups.” Where the former functions in ordnance with SWE HQ, as they provide extra support to the group in order to focus on building a sustainable foundation, the latter functions as a low-programming group meant primarily for social connection (e.g., SWE Athletes), not frequent professional development events.
There was also a mention of several groups who are currently in the development pathway or being explored:
- Women in Energy
- Disability Caretakers
- Middle East & North Africa (MENA)
In short, new groups are possible, but SWE wants them to succeed long term, not to burn out quickly.
How to Get Involved
- Opt into AG mailing list (located on SWE membership profile)
- Follow AGs on any of their social media platforms (Linkedin, Slack, Instagram, Facebook, X formerly known as Twitter)
- Attend virtual events
- Attend in-person meetups at conferences
- Volunteer and support an affinity group either short term (help with specific projects or events) or long term (apply to join their leadership team)
The panel referenced includes the anecdotes from the following SWE leaders:
Hope Toole Schwalls, F.SWE (Moderator)
A fellow and life member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Hope has been an active member of SWE for nearly three decades — first as a collegiate member while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and then as a professional member in two different professional sections. Prior to being elected to the FY25-26 Board of Directors, Hope served SWE in multiple roles at the section, region, and society levels. In addition to serving SWE, Hope participates in various other endeavors in both STEM and non-STEM fields. In her professional life, Hope is currently an aeronautical engineer principal.
Alyssa Acosta (Panelist)
A graduate of Texas Tech University in 2020 with her Bachelor’s of Science and master’s degrees in environmental engineering, Alyssa worked for ExxonMobil at their Joliet Refinery in Illinois as an environmental air advisor for two and half years after graduation. She then made the switch from the oil and gas industry to the water treatment scene by working for Garver at their College Station Water Design Center for a year before accepting a job with Burns and McDonnell. She is now a staff environmental engineer working in industrial and municipal wastewater treatment at the Austin office. Alyssa currently serves as the lead for the Early Career Professional AG (FY26) and is the former chair (FY25) for the Affinity Group Working Group. She is also a five-time speaker at the SWE annual conference, and her blog titled “Confessions of a Serial Job Hopper: Finding the Right Fit” was on SWE’s top five blogs of 2025.
Barbara Read (Panelist)
A principal quality engineer at an aerospace and defense company and an ASQ certified quality engineer (CQE), Barbara has held a variety of roles in software engineering, systems engineering, process improvement, and team leadership, culminating in her latest assignment during her 40-year plus career. Her past SWE leadership roles include Dallas SWE Section president FY15 – FY16. Barbara now is the FY26 Affinity Group Working Group chair. Barbara belongs to several affinity group communities, including the Late Career & Retiree Affinity Group (AG), the Community Colleges AG (being a professional counselor to a collegiate section), and the First-Generation Students and Professionals AG. She has spoken on DEI topics for workplace seminars and at past SWE conferences, most recently WE25 and WE Local Austin. As an avid reader and fierce advocate for libraries, she is the current president of her local library’s friends organization.
Sharon Kalango (Panelist)
The African American Affinity Group lead for the past two fiscal years, Sharon has also held other SWE leadership roles during her collegiate career. She graduated Georgia Southern University in 2020 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a minor in business management. Although she started her career as various iterations of process or manufacturing engineer, she currently works as a digital engineer in the insulation industry, focusing on data management, analysis, and presentation. As an advocate for minority identities in STEM fields, she volunteers her time in many related programs.
