Kent Place Upper School Hosts Women in Engineering Panel

On April 8, the Upper School student body invited a panel of four professional engineers to host a special assembly. Representing various categories of engineering and career stages, these women shared their stories about navigating and succeeding in traditionally male-dominated fields.

The panel featured:

• Sanjukta Ghosh P ’33, software engineer
• Diana Sanchez, industrial engineer
• Sarah Heck P ’27, electrical engineer
• Rachel Newburg, mechanical engineer

The panelists spoke candidly about the unique experience of being a woman in engineering. Although their day-to-day roles vary — from designing Gen AI software at Amazon to designing world-class roller coasters at Great Adventure — their stories have a powerful common thread. 

They noted that being a minority in their field presents challenges, but it also offers a distinct competitive advantage: Women often provide a fresh, sought-after perspective. As one panelist said, being the only woman in the room gives her a vital voice and positions her to represent other women.

The panelists highlighted three pillars of a successful career: persistence, hard work, and a support network. They encouraged students to seek out mentors and allies, reminding the audience that whereas the path may be demanding, perseverance and a strong community can make all the difference. 

“We’re so grateful to the panelists for empowering our students to see themselves in the future of STEM,” says Sue Tracy P ’29, Computer Science and Engineering Department chair.

The mission of the STEM Program at Kent Place is to inspire girls by igniting their curiosity, fostering their interests, and enhancing their proficiency in the natural sciences, computer programming, engineering, and mathematics. Across all divisions, Kent Place aims to broaden and deepen participation in STEM by offering diverse, meaningful, challenging, and joyful curricular and cocurricular activities.