Involvements are one of the most flexible aspects of any college student’s life: USC has hundreds of student organizations and you can be involved in so many different ways. Some students are general members of different clubs whereas others devote their time to 1 or 2 and end up taking on a leadership role in that club. What’s also great about involvements is that they give you the opportunity to explore different industries and communities that you wouldn’t get the chance to in classes.
As a freshman, I was really concerned about finding a community. In my classes, I found it difficult to make friends to find a study group and I grew more and more concerned. That’s where SWE, the Society of Women Engineers, comes in for me. I attended a SWE general meeting and immediately felt less worried.
The great thing about being a SWE member was the sense of community I felt. We could complain about workloads, about physics labs and all of the interviews and rejections we had to deal with. USC’s SWE chapter also has a great Ambassador program for freshmen and sophomores that allows you to be more involved in the club. As an ambassador, I learned more about professional development, mentorship and what I could do to uplift other women engineers in my community. I also met some of my closest friends in the program.
There are plenty of organizations I wish I had time to be part of at USC, but I’m glad to be part of SWE. My sense of community has grown but I also know that there are women who have my back and are there to help me out when I need it most.
