Ellie Parkes (left), AJ Bekoe (center) and Sandy Lin say their experiences at Syracuse University have helped prepare them for careers in historically male-dominated fields.
Women have traditionally found themselves outnumbered by their male counterparts when it comes to jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, as only 21% of engineering majors and 19% of computer and information science majors are women, according to the American Association of University Women.
Thankfully over the years, the field has become more inclusive and progress has been made to help more women earn STEM degrees and land a job working in STEM once they graduate.
Three current students—Juanitta “AJ” Bekoe ’24 (aerospace engineering), Sandy Lin ’25 (computer science) and Ellie Parkes ’26 (electrical engineering)—have set their sights on leveling the playing field and helping more women enter these traditionally male-dominated industries.
They sat down with SU News to share their stories of how the College of Engineering and Computer Science is preparing them for career success, the most valuable lessons they’ve learned during their time on campus and how they plan to utilize their degrees once they graduate.
AJ Bekoe
Juanitta “AJ” Bekoe: I’ve had two internships with Ball Aerospace, now BAE Systems, in Colorado, and I will be working there as a systems engineer once I graduate. They make different optic systems and design their own satellites. Last summer I was able to work on helping test this satellite, examining how it would fly, making sure the instruments wouldn’t break and comparing how the instrument measured different climate changes.
I was connected to them through the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, which aims to support Black students who want to pursue their dream aerospace jobs. And now, I’m on the executive team, and I’m very excited to continue contributing to the future of this important organization that has meant so much to me.
One very lofty career goal is to be an astronaut, which means I would have to go back and get my master’s degree (for NASA). There are more and more women going to space through commercial space flights, so through either path I’m willing to become one of the next,
Sandy Lin: I want to be the one of those torch passers, someone who, later on in my career, becomes an educator within the computer science field and educates the next generation. Perhaps one reason why there’s an imbalance of men and women in this industry is because there aren’t as many women professors teaching computer science-related topics? Maybe if there are more women educators out there encouraging more women to enter this field, we can see a rise in the number of innovative women getting into computer science.
Ellie Parkes: I’m still not quite sure what I want to do. This summer, I have an internship working with renewable energy and its distribution, but I think the most valuable thing I will get out of this internship is a deeper understanding of what specific electrical engineering fields I enjoy and would like to perhaps pursue further in the future. No matter what field I end up in, my main goal is to make a positive impact on the people around me and the people who will be impacted by my decisions.
Ellie Parkes
Parkes: To be successful in this type of environment, you have to be confident in your knowledge and abilities and not be afraid to take up space and make your voice heard. One of the biggest examples of adversity you will have to overcome as a woman in a male-dominated field is doubt, whether others are doubting you or even you are doubting yourself.
Last summer, I completed an internship where I oversaw the implementation of new Department of Defense regulations at an engineering firm. There were very few women in the office, and even fewer who were working on the engineering projects. One of my main responsibilities was to visit those who would be affected by the new regulations and make sure they were up to date with the new requirements. Most of the people I visited were men, and many of them were resistant to these changes. I explained what was going on, confidently took up space and did what I needed to for every employee. Being confident in your skills is one of the only things that will help you tackle these challenges.
Bekoe: I’ve always had a mindset to keep pushing towards my goals and what I want to accomplish. It’s important to have faith in your abilities, even in times when you might be dealing with questions and self-doubt. Overcoming imposter syndrome is no easy feat but is easier to conquer when you have a community around you to uplift each other—and sometimes you must be the one to make it. I remember when I was in high school doing robotics, I was the only girl on the team and got excluded from being hands-on, but once I broke out of my shell and got more involved, I was the one who would bring other girls into robotics, making that space more welcoming for everyone to be part of the team.
Lin: Don’t ever be afraid to reach out. Don’t think that you’re different from your peers. Just see yourself as equal. It will help a lot in your development in this male-dominated field. There’s always people you can reach out to, people who would love to discuss the career opportunities they have in mind for you if that opportunity fits with your skills. Always reach out to others and try to form bonds with your colleagues. People are always willing to help you out if you just speak up and aren’t afraid to ask for help.
Sandy Lin
Lin: Always be open-minded. I came in thinking that this computer science field is just about programming languages, but there’s so much more, from internet and cybersecurity to cryptocurrency and operating systems. I really didn’t get into computers until the 10th grade when I had my experiences with Code Busters in high school through Science Olympiad. I was late to the field, but with the knowledge I’ve learned in class, everything is coming together and I’m even more interested in computer science.
Parkes: It’s okay not to know exactly what you want to do, and also be open to accepting help from your peers. My freshman year, I lived in the Engineering Living Learning Community, and this experience was one of many things Syracuse University is doing to encourage a more collaborative learning experience as opposed to a competitive one. In all of my classes, collaboration has been encouraged instead of competition, which has not only helped reduce the stress from this rigorous program, but it has also encouraged students to teach each other, making us all better.
Bekoe: With the organizations I’ve been involved with, the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers, there’s been a push to help Black students feel comfortable in the engineering space. As a senior, I’m always telling the juniors that will come up in this role after me that leadership is not just about being someone on paper. You cannot hold a leadership role just to make yourself look good on paper and have all the benefits to yourself. Being in any sort of leadership role, you have people who are relying on you. You have to be passionate and want to serve the community in order to produce results that don’t only just make yourself look good, but that make a difference and have an impact on someone’s life. As a graduating senior, I know that I’m going to be someone who actively changes the industry’s culture for the better.
