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    Opportunities abound for WVNG women engineers

    Opportunities abound for WVNG women engineers

    Photo By Edwin Wriston | Sgt. Cheyenne Lender, a 12W Carpentry and Masonry Specialist with the West Virginia...... read more read more

    CHARLESTON, WV, UNITED STATES

    06.23.2021

    Story by Edwin Wriston 

    West Virginia National Guard

    As a little girl, Sgt. Cheyenne Lender, a 12W Carpentry and Masonry Specialist in the West Virginia Army National Guard would help her grandfather with remodeling projects around the home, eventually developing an interest in construction and engineering. This interest developed into a passion, and eventually led her to enlist in the West Virginia National Guard.

    Lender has served as a 12W for five years, first in the 601st Engineering Company out of Kingwood and then in the 1528th Forward Support Company out of Martinsburg. In 2019, she deployed to the Middle East with the D Company 230th Brigade Support Battalion with the 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment. She now works as Recruiting and Retention Non-Commissioned Officer.

    As Lender points out, working in a male dominated industry has its challenges but also its rewards.

    “Being one of few women in the engineering field means I have to work twice as hard to stand out,” she said. “I have gained a great sense of pride and accomplishment from all things I’ve done because I’ve had to work so much harder to get there.”

    Many other women across the engineering sector also are finding they must work harder to overcome career obstacles. According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, women pursuing careers in engineering drop off at every stage throughout their journey, whether in elementary, middle or high school, college, or the workplace because of barriers such as gender stereotypes, access to resources and wage gaps.

    To combat that, more companies are developing STEM initiatives and encouraging diversity and inclusion by providing mentors, networking events and other opportunities for women.
    The number of school-based STEM programs aimed at girls has increased dramatically in recent years as well.

    A 2019 study by researchers at the University of Alabama-Huntsville found that military veterans have a higher rate of earning degrees and finding employment in STEM fields. In some cases, women military veterans enter STEM fields at rates higher than their male counterparts.

    Lender states her experiences with the National Guard and her work as an engineer give her the unique ability and insight to connect with other young women who want to pursue military careers in traditionally male-dominated roles.

    “I always encourage females to serve in the National Guard,” Lender said. “I love being a recruiter with an engineering background because I can connect with all new potential soldiers who want to enter STEM fields. I get to tell them about all the things the National Guard has helped me accomplish as an engineer and talk with them about the amazing opportunities the Guard offers them as well.”

    Lender has used her skills to build the JROTC obstacle course at Charleston’s Capital High School and repair cabins at Holly River State Park in Webster County. But she is proudest of her work on a project with allies overseas.

    “The most rewarding project I have ever done was work on constructing a multipurpose building in Cincu, Romania, on a Romanian compound,” she said. “This building will be used by Romanian and allied forces for generations to come, and it is something I can point to and say that my work made a difference.”

    Lender is currently working on her online bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies at West Virginia University and hopes to earn a master’s in Safety Management. After completing her National Guard career, she hopes to use her degrees and experience to re-enter the civilian engineering field as a Safety Inspector.

    “The National Guard has given me many opportunities to develop my interests and to learn versatility and resiliency,” Lender said. “The skills I’ve learned as a 12W have helped me land multiple engineering jobs in the civilian world, including as a skilled laborer in the pipeline construction industry. Being an Army engineer requires quick thinking and on-the-go training, making it the perfect environment to learn and develop skills important in the engineering field.

    “I hope more women engineers start taking advantage of the opportunities and experiences available through the West Virginia National Guard.”

    International Women in Engineering Day aims to highlight the work and raise awareness of the opportunities available to women in engineering roles, which are traditionally male dominated. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women make up about 48 percent of the American workforce, but only about 27 percent of women work in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields. In contrast, men make up about 52 percent of the American workforce but 73 percent of all STEM workers.

    Thank you to Sgt. Lender and all the female leaders in the WVNG who continually reach to new heights of achievement and success that help to strengthen our One Guard family.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.23.2021
    Date Posted: 06.23.2021 10:03
    Story ID: 399505
    Location: CHARLESTON, WV, US

    Web Views: 174
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN