Allison Anders is the only female first-year engineering studies major here at Southern Adventist University.
From a young age, Anders spent time with her older brother and father restoring vintage cars, including her own teal 1974 Ford F-100 truck that she acquired in high school. Being homeschooled allowed Anders to spend ample time with her parents and older brother either adventuring outdoors or in the garage learning the craft of auto mechanics.
Growing up surrounded by male figures, Anders thought she understood the climate she was entering in college. However, being an engineering student was nothing like she anticipated. Anders felt she had to “break into a club that everyone else automatically had a pass into.”
The name “Anders” comes from the Greek derivative “anderios,” which translates to “manly.” Many perceive engineering as a profession designed for men.
Being one of only four women currently enrolled in Southern’s engineering program, Anders struggles to be considered as just another pupil and not a prodigy.
“The comments are hilarious,” Anders said. “‘Oh! That’s so unique! You must be so smart!’ people say. It’s always shock. You can say nursing on this campus and everyone just kind of nods and thinks, ‘Whatever.’ But you say engineering, and you get all sorts of surprised expressions.”
According to their website, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is striving toward widening their employment demographic in order to enhance creativity. Innovation is a key factor in engineering, and the ASME has found in recent studies that creativity is greatly enhanced when females are included in project development.
“It’s intimidating, but it’s something that needs to be done,” Anders said. “Once I’ve been able to work with [the men], I bring a perspective that none of them previously had.”
Integrating more women is proving to be a daunting task for not just the leaders of the industry, but also the individuals themselves.
In the U.S., 20 percent of engineering students are female, but only 11 percent of the engineering field is made of practicing women, according to the ASME. This may be either from a lack of opportunity for growth in the workplace or pressure women feel in college to change their major to a more female-accepting career.
Anders has felt this pressure even in Southern’s smaller, private school setting. The ratio of men to women in the engineering studies program closely mirrors the national percentages, with 21 percent being comprised of women and 79 percent being male.
Anders is not surprised that so many women quit. She feels it’s difficult to continue in an industry where girls can’t find community for support.
This pressure has caused Anders to recently entertain the thought of transferring to another career that more widely accepts women.
“Dumb stuff you don’t think about suddenly comes to mind,” Anders said. “Forgot a tampon to class? You’re lucky if anyone on the same floor as you will have one.”
Despite these challenges, Anders refuses to give up. Conquering the intimidation and hurdles that come with forging a relatively new path continues to feed her energy and inspire her to push on.