You’re Hired! Students Get Big Breaks at SWE Conference

Pictured from left: Candy Barbaran, David Stachnik, Chaya Levin, and Ariel Steinlauf were each offered full-time positions from Boeing.

Four NYIT students are about to take off with Boeing.

NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences students landed job offers with the aerospace giant Boeing during the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., October 17 through 20.

Computer science majors Chaya Levin, Candy Barbaran, Ariel Steinlauf, and David Stachnik were each offered full-time positions on the spot at the Career Fair hosted by SWE.

“Attending SWE not only helped me and my fellow students receive job offers from large companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and others, it also gave me the incredible opportunity to network with some of the strongest and brightest women in engineering,” said Levin.

SWE is one of the largest conferences for women engineers but is open to anyone interested in attending. Twenty-eight students from the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences went to the event with faculty advisors Associate Professor Ziqian (Cecilia) Dong, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor Houwei Cao, Ph.D.

Twenty-eight NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences students attended the Society of Women Engineers Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., October 17 – 20.

At the conference, they participated in educational sessions and workshops and heard from industry leaders including Cindy Kent, the former president and general manager for 3M Infection Prevention Division; Marilyn A. Hewson, chairman, president, and chief executive officer at Lockheed Martin Corporation; and Kim Underhill, group president of Kimberly-Clark’s North American consumer business.

Electrical and computer engineering major Mirette Mikhail attended as a participant of the SWE Collegiate Leadership Institute (CLI). Students who apply to this program learn from career and leadership experts, gain new skills, and network with SWE members and fellow college students.

“We had a full day of professional and leadership development sessions. It was amazing because I met other CLI SWE leaders from around the country,” said Mikhail. “I felt so empowered to see all these women engineers in one room helping each other grow.”

Before leaving for the conference, the students participated in NYIT Career Services’ Career Fair Bootcamp to help prepare them to network with employers as well as perfect their personal elevator pitch and handshake.

Other students also received job offers at the event. Electrical and computer engineering major Hashir Saifullah Syed landed an internship position with Cummins Inc.

“Seeing the students participate in the professional sessions, going to the career fair, and getting hired on the spot was a very rewarding experience,” said Dong.