Organization takes flight for UC students seeking aviation careers

Wiggins held an informational meeting in January 2020 with support from aerospace engineering department head Kelly Cohen and faculty members Mark Turner and Yao Fu, the organization’s adviser. Attendees confirmed their interest in the organization’s mission.

“I want to create a voice for underrepresented female students in engineering, to create a group that can collaborate and discuss experiences or issues they may be facing,” said Wiggins, now president of the organization.

At its first meeting in February, the group made plans to participate in outreach opportunities and host speakers. Wiggins gave the first presentation on how to get involved in university research. She encourages undergraduates to prepare for research earlier in their college career.

Members attended their first outreach event later that month, a symposium for middle and high school students at Mount Healthy High School during Engineers Week.

During a Q&A session, students, including some girls in the audience, expressed preconceived ideas about engineering. Wiggins explained how aviation and engineering offer a vast range of career choices for people with all kinds of skills and interests.

“At their age, I also thought engineering was meant for people who had a passion for math and building things and that’s all they did, but there is so much more to this field than most people think,” Wiggins said.

“It made me feel nostalgic to come full circle, to reflect back on my career and why I made the decisions that led me here,” Wiggins said. “Giving back to the students, serving as their role model, and being the voice to say, ‘you can do it,' that’s what makes me happy."