Women in STEM

Alumnae Start Women Helping Women Scholarship

Nine Kettering alumnae are doing their part to pave the way for future generations of women to enter the STEM world.

“It’s really about giving back. How do you get more young women in STEM, in the sciences?” said Sandra Dietrich (’87, IE). “A lot of these ladies that are doing this with me, that’s what we’ve spent our careers doing. It’s about bringing up that next generation and giving these young women mentors where we didn’t really have any.”

Dietrich has been working with the University to start this scholarship for at least a year. She reached out and asked the other women for their help — and that’s how the $25,000 Women Helping Women endowment was born.

“$25,000 seems like a lot of money, but when I pitched it to my friends, I said, ‘Hey, if you give $500 a year for five years and there’s 10 of us, that’s our endowment,’” Dietrich said.

The nine women involved include her sister and fellow members of the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. A 10th woman is helping, too, but she isn’t an alumna. She does, however, have a special connection to Dietrich and education — her mother, Jeanette Hill.

“My mom heard me talk about this and said she wanted to be a part of it,” Dietrich said. “She’s been a teacher, and she was very proud of my sister and I coming here and being engineers, and it was important for her as well to give back, especially being a teacher.”

Hill said she believes in giving back and hopes the scholarship will “help other women attend who might not have been able to go.”

Stephanie Luke (’87, EE) feels the same way.

“I see a great need for women in technical fields,” she said. “This was a way to give back and help someone that is driven to succeed but may need a helping hand.”

Others also see the benefits for not only the women but also the industry.

“I’ve worked in male-dominated industries my entire career, and I see some of the blind spots and groupthink that occurs,” said Kirsten Billhardt (’96, IE). “More women, as well as more diversity in other forms, will lead to different perspectives and questions that propel knowledge forward.”

The women said they hope alleviating some of the financial burden will encourage other young women to consider engineering.

“This is a great time to be in engineering and be female — there is nothing to hold you back,” said Darlene Deane (’88, IE). “My advice: Take your seat at the table! Take the opportunity to do something different; work overseas, work in a plant, and don’t be afraid to take risks.”

For Dietrich, the sky is the limit.

“This $25,000 is just the beginning,” she said. “As others contribute, it means helping more young women.”

To make a gift to the Women Helping Women Scholarship, contact the Office of Gift Planning at (800) 955-4464, ext. 9746, email giftplan@kettering.edu or make a contribution here.