Sarahi Alvarez is a third year student majoring in software engineering at CSUSM. Alvarez started a club here at campus named Women in Engineering that aims to expand STEM opportunities to female students and to create an environment where women can support one another.

What inspired you to start Women in Engineering here at campus?

This club was inspired by some of our Engineering and Computer Science majors here at CSUSM. We were looking for a club where we could network with each other, find opportunities specific to women and help support other women in technology. 

How are you able to balance school responsibilities and club responsibilities? 

We have an incredible support group in our current CSUSM engineering community. Our advisor Jeffrey Morales and professors like Dr. Fan, Dr. Zheng and Professor Mosleh do an amazing job of making themselves available to help us with our club projects. It’s all a team effort!

Has the recent pandemic changed how you are going to run WIE?

I think many of us would agree that the collaborative work we do within our engineering community is such an essential part of our CSUSM experience, but not having the ability to meet up and see each other has definitely had an impact on us as students. However, I’m hoping that we will still be able to communicate and collaborate through online programs like Discord and Zoom this semester for WIE.

What are some goals you hope WIE can achieve this year?

I hope that WIE can help provide a platform to give our CSUSM women a voice, to help us network, build a community and support each other in finding opportunities. I’d also like for us to recognize each other’s achievements and have fun while empowering each other to succeed and grow!