U.S. WIN 2010 Sponsored Students Reflect on their Conference Experiences

A Texas Girl's Take - Lauren Neuburger, Texas A&M University

When I told my younger brother that I was going to a Women in Nuclear conference, he asked, “So what’s it gonna be? ‘Mean Girls’ or ‘Steel Magnolias’?” And, for the life of me, I didn’t know how to respond. Would I be intimidated by these powerful women and feel isolated without proper connections in their network? Could I be welcomed like a daughter, or would I be subjected to a three-day girl-power-hour? Obviously, my brother had no clue that a simple pop-culture reference would send my brain spinning into overdrive about the U.S. WIN Conference, but I resolved to find out in Seattle.

The first day I arrived, I had spent a collective six hours on a plane or in an airport, so I was feeling less than chipper when I got in my cab. But let me tell you, WIN planners, you couldn’t have picked a better location. Every notion I had of a dreary, rain-filled city like Seattle was dispelled that sunny Saturday afternoon. It was beautiful and full of life, and I decided that I’d be spending the rest of my day running around like a tourist without a map (which is what I was, until the concierge fixed me up.) And so a Texas girl spent hours “learnin’ some culture” at the Seattle Art Museum, the Pacific Science Center, the Pike Place Market and the incredible Space Needle. I was having the time of my life, and the conference hadn’t even started yet!

As Sunday rolled around, I woke up to gratuitous amounts of Starbucks (thanks again, location planners!) and more city strolling. Check-in was a breeze, so I was really starting to look forward to the first student-mentor meeting that evening. I contacted my lovely mentor, Tami Davis-Sayko, a few weeks prior and made the delightful discovery that we would be in the same place at the start of my next semester. Tami is the assistant director of the Nuclear Power Institute in College Station (a joint venture with Texas A&M University and Texas Engineering Experiment Station Institute), and I just so happen to go to school at Texas A&M (TAMU), which is— as I’m sure you’ve guessed—also in College Station, Texas. I’m a radiological health engineer, but I’m very interested in law, and Tami just so happens to be an attorney. Could this have worked out any better?

Unfortunately, Tami’s plane was delayed on the tarmac for who knows how long (she and the rest of the NPI and TAMU crowd should probably get an award for patience), so I didn’t have a mentor for the first night’s meeting. It was another sign from above that Wanda Brooks-Crocker of AREVA fame just so happened to be sitting next to me, and she just so happened to be missing her student from TAMU. It was official: I was adopted for the day. Wanda and I chatted and, though I may not have seemed it, I was very nervous to be there. As we talked, Wanda reassured me without knowing it by being laid-back, good-natured and knowledgeable about what would happen next. I was the rookie player, happy to learn from the pro.

It was at that moment in time that I understood my brother’s movie metaphor. The WIN conference wouldn’t be like “Mean Girls” with all of its drama and craziness, and it wouldn’t be like “Steel Magnolias” with the complex friendships that have lasted since kindergarten. This was “A League of Their Own,” from start to finish. We were picked for one purpose, to form a nuclear community, just like the team was picked to play women’s baseball. We are unique, we are determined, and we are, dare I say, a pretty good-looking crowd.

The next day, after several hours of mingling, listening, talking and asking questions, I wasn’t sure that I’d feel up to the daunting task of going out with my coworkers, some of whom I barely knew. I work as an intern in radiation protection at Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, and my building is isolated from the majority of the others on site, so I don’t get out often. When I got to the conference, that didn’t matter much. Melinda Otte and Peggy Henderson, both WIN all stars, made sure the Luminant girls had a social extravaganza. It was one of the greatest surprises of the trip that our informal meetings were so relaxed, and I think the gratuitous amount of pictures we took is a testament to how much fun we had. (Don’t forget to tag me on Facebook!)

Another pleasant meeting was my first encounter with the brand new Texas A&M WIN chapter. As Tami introduced us, I could feel my jaw drop when I realized that I was a nuclear senior at school and had no idea that WIN was available to me. To remedy this lamentable fact, I’m going to become one of the first active members of the chapter at the start of the semester, and I can tell we’re going to do great things. Even though I’ve only known the TAMU officers for two days, those ladies are, for lack of a better word, awesome. They also don’t laugh when I say “y’all.”

Perhaps the only conference con was that I couldn’t write fast enough to jot down all of the brilliant things being said around me. Every speaker was engaging and informative, and I feel like I learned just as much at coffee breaks as I did in the breakout sessions. I’ll have to train harder for next WIN season. Maybe I’ll get a speed-writing coach.

I was sad to see my time in Seattle ending. The city itself was a wonder I’m so grateful to have visited, the conference was full of information and a unity of purpose that’s hard to find, and the eye-opening nuclear network available to me finally became clear. After all, I made more than connections—I made friends. As we said our goodbyes and caught our cabs, a certain Tom Hanks quote sprang to mind, slightly altered for my purposes. Remember ladies, there’s no crying in WIN conferences.

An Invigorating and WINning Experience - Lainy Dromgoole, Texas A&M University

Howdy! I am a sophomore radiological health engineering major at Texas A&M University (hence the “Howdy”) and a student worker at the Nuclear Power Institute, located in College Station, Texas, along with Texas A&M. I must quip that as an engineering student, I am not well-versed in the area of journalistic writing but certainly welcome the opportunity to share my wonderful experience at the U.S. Women in Nuclear Conference in Seattle!

First of all, I was extremely blessed to be seated next to a window on the plane ride from Texas to Washington. I spent the majority of the flight staring at the mountainous landscape and snacking on airplane food. Mountains are a big deal for me—I grew up in South Texas (Victoria, to be specific) and have only been as far west as Colorado. Right before landing in Seattle we flew by Mount Rainier, which looked quite literally like an island in the sky—breathtaking. We stepped out of the airport into cool Washington air (also something I do not experience often in Texas), which was amazingly refreshing.

Because we arrived into Seattle late, I unfortunately missed the student-mentor orientation the first night. I’d heard that we were to formally meet again during the networking break on Tuesday, but I was lucky enough to meet my mentor, Sheila Brey, while waiting for the elevator Monday morning! The elevators at the Westin are remarkably fast, so we did not get to chat for long but I was definitely excited to finally meet her! In a later conversation, I learned that Sheila is a senior project manager at Entergy’s Fitzpatrick power plant in New York. She shared with me the many different sides of power production she has experienced throughout her career and also told me that she founded Entergy’s WIN chapter! This was great news to me, as I am public relations officer of the Texas A&M WIN chapter that was just started this past year. I am thankful that I will now have her to go to for advice not only on the industry, but also on how to make our A&M chapter successful!

On the first day of the conference, I quickly found myself jotting down every other word that was spoken during the plenary and breakout sessions. Some of the quotes that stuck me were Adm. Donald’s “three-legged stool” metaphor and Dr. Andrew Cook’s “put the shoe on the other foot.” The breakout sessions I attended included discussions of advocacy and outreach and media and the nuclear industry. These sessions were loaded with useful information I took back with me to use in starting up our chapter at A&M and in my job at the Nuclear Power Institute, where we partner with industry and education to develop a work force for the future of all things nuclear. Also interesting were the more technical presentations, including Susan Landahl’s discussion of tritium leaks. All of the sessions I attended and people I met were especially meaningful because they allowed me to perceive the industry beyond my coursework in school.

Perhaps the most inspiring event of the conference was Region IV meeting. To see all of these ladies so passionate about promoting the nuclear field and reaching out to their surrounding communities was extremely motivating for me and my fellow A&M WIN officers. We are so excited to get started with our chapter and blessed to have met many women in Region IV willing to extend a hand and help us out with becoming an established, active organization.

In summary, attending the U.S. WIN Conference this summer has invigorated me in the pursuit of my education and career, and I certainly plan to be active in WIN for years to come. (Maybe I will be a mentor one day!) Thank you to the Nuclear Power Institute for allowing me to attend, and thank you to WIN for making me feel welcome to such wonderful group of united, inspiring women!

An Unforgettable Journey Into the World of U.S. WIN - Susan Martin, Lake Michigan College

I think the first thing I have to say is that attending the U.S. Women in Nuclear Conference was a great end to the last two years of my associate’s degree. Attending the conference in some ways felt like a reward for all the hard work I’ve been doing. I’ve been to a conference before, but it wasn’t a WIN conference. I had learned so much at that one that if another opportunity came up to attend a conference, I was going to seize the opportunity. I received an e-mail from a staff member at the school saying that a sponsorship to go to the 2010 U.S. WIN Conference was available and that all we had to do was send a resume and why I thought it was beneficial for me, which was the start to my unforgettable journey.

I thought it was a great idea to set the students up with mentors. My mentor was great and when I met her she had a lot of insights into the industry. She gave me tips about what I could do to help myself stand out from the crowd, since I was graduating in August and just starting my job hunt. It was inspirational to be paired with a female leader in the industry, as I am hoping to eventually in my career seek management positions.

I got to meet many more people who worked for different companies around the country, which I would not have had a chance to do if not for this conference. I had a chance to tell people about my school and program, which I am always proud to talk about. I also love to share my enthusiasm for this industry. I also got to share that I would be graduating soon, a huge accomplishment that has also made me proud. Then after the reception I got a chance to go do some sightseeing with one of the students from a university in the same state. That was all just the first day. I couldn’t wait to find out what the next day would bring.

The next day came and the conference got under way. It was great to see all the women that filled the room. There are not many women in the energy production program at Lake Michigan College, so this was also very inspiring. The speakers at the opening plenary were very memorable. To hear Adm. Donald speak on a different perspective of nuclear power was interesting, as the only perspective I had seen at this point was from the commercial end. When Mr. Halpin spoke he gave me the sense that I had a role to play in powering the network even as a novice. As I reflect, it seems that this was the theme of the conference of the three days.

Each breakout session helped me in many more ways than I had anticipated. The first one I attended was “Advocacy and Outreach-Best Practices.” I left that session wanting to be more involved in the outreach process in my community and hopefully helping others. The speakers gave good advice on how that could be accomplished. The next breakout session I attended was “Social Media and the Nuclear Industry.” I had no idea that the industry was starting to tap into this resource and that it would be beneficial for me to use that to my advantage. I learned about a professional networking site that I had no idea existed, which gave me more hope in my job search. The last breakout session that I attended was “Leadership at All Levels-Taking Ownership.” The women on the panel had advice on what makes you a good leader, some of which I didn’t even know and some I was already doing. It was good to learn that I was doing things to stand out and help me to be a great leader in the future.

The event to close out the conference, dinner at the Flight Museum, was amazing. I had always liked space and flight but not a huge fan of it. That place will make anyone change their mind about that. It was a great time to spend my last night with the friends that I had made and with women I had something in common with: We are all Women in Nuclear.

Overall the journey, as I say in my title, was unforgettable. There are so many more things to talk about that I would like to cover, but it would make my article a novel. There are so many stories and experiences I have to share with everyone around me that when someone asks me about the conference, I love to talk about it. The U.S. WIN Conference has made me want to be more involved in my local WIN chapter and other aspects of WIN. I have received invitations to attend meetings for my own region and other regions as a result. I hope to be able to attend future U.S. WIN conferences and hopefully in the future get a chance to attend a U.S. WIN and WiN Global conference.

WINvolvment - Emily Tavride, University of Texas at Austin

It was a great pleasure to attend the 2010 U.S. Women in Nuclear Conference in Seattle. Prior to this conference, I was disheartened at the level of involvement of women in the nuclear energy industry. However, while attending the conference I realized that there are many passionate and eager women in the field. It was such an encouraging trip to see so many women talking to, learning from and teaching each other about their experiences as well as their future plans.

I was pleasantly surprised at the polite and interested attitudes of the mentors, students and speakers. I was a bit intimidated at first, as I am used to conversing with only men in the field. It didn’t take me long to realize how genuine everyone was. With so few women working and studying in the field, I really felt a sense of union or sorority among everyone.

The mentor program was splendid for me; my mentor introduced me to so many smart women, which allowed me to learn about many different career paths and possibilities. She was very helpful in describing things during and after lectures as well as helping me plan out my schedule for the conference.

The most interesting and also most encouraging topic covered during the conference was social media and public policy. I can’t stress how important it is for the nuclear industry to advertise itself with facts to the general public through all of the types of social media available to the world. I was really surprised yet incredibly happy to hear this topic repeated over the three-day conference.

I will definitely be attending the 2011 conference and look forward to seeing some of the same faces, as well as more students. I will be keeping in touch with my mentor and several people I met, which will most likely lead to career opportunities in the future.

From Student to Industry Insider - Jill Anderson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The U.S. Women in Nuclear Conference was an amazing experience for me. As a graduate student about to enter the work force, I was very excited to absorb as much as possible. The conference allowed me to do more than simply meet and talk with others in the field and learn more about the nuclear industry (all of which were good, of course). I was able to make deep personal connections to those in the field and become even more enthusiastic to start my career in the nuclear industry. As a sponsored student, I was given a mentor, Gilda Bocock. Gilda works for Westinghouse Electric Co. as a fuel customer project manager, and her insights were invaluable. It was so rewarding to be able to spend a lot of time with someone who has extensive experience and knowledge about a field I am getting ready to enter. She answered all of my questions, from technical queries to social observations. Once Gilda found out I was going to be working for Sargent & Lundy, she introduced me to current Sargent & Lundy employees. They were all quite personable and shared their experiences with me and what to expect once I start work. Lauren, from S & L’s Chicago office where I will be employed, even helped me plan a way to get to work in the morning. I was inspired by both my fellow students and the friendly Westinghouse employees who let me hang out with them at their booth.

The presentations at the conference were also extremely beneficial. There were speakers on a wide range of topics, all of whom were passionate and approachable. One of my favorite presentations, titled “Soft Skills and Hard Lesson for Women Leaders,” was given by Debra Orbacz. Her information will come in very handy and complemented many of the other presentations. Lastly, I very much enjoyed getting to see some familiar faces and catching up with those I have meet at other conferences (ANS and HPS) and through internships.

Overall, my first WIN conference was truly wonderful. I learned a great deal, met some amazing people, and connected with old friends. Thank you so much to WIN and NEI for sponsoring me and to the University of Illinois Nuclear Engineering Department for paying my travel expenses. I am excited to start working and stay working in the nuclear industry.

Powering the Inter-Organizational Nuclear Network - Vanessa Valentin, Purdue University

I am a doctoral student in the Division of Construction Engineering and Management at the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. My doctoral research explores the impacts of inter-organizational dynamics in capital-intensive projects related to infrastructure developments. The risk-based framework is applied to the pre-construction and construction phases of nuclear power plant projects. It is extremely important for me to interact with industry practitioners to ensure that my research has a practical contribution to the industry, and with this aim I began looking for networking opportunities in the nuclear area. In this regard, I consider myself very lucky to have come across the U.S. WIN Conference.

I attended the conference after receiving sponsorship from U.S. WIN. This funding was very rewarding for me, not only as a student, but also as a mom: I was able to take my 18-month-old son and my husband with me.

The opportunity to attend the 2010 U.S. WIN Conference was WONDERFUL. I enjoyed every aspect of the conference: the level of organization, the outstanding speakers, the social events and the invaluable networking opportunities. Furthermore, I was very impressed with the sense of camaraderie that existed even between representatives from competing companies. This was definitely something I have not seen in some other conferences I have attended.

The fact that students were linked to an industry mentor is excellent. At the beginning of the conference I met up with my mentor Darlene Polk, manager for Westinghouse Electric Co., who has more than 30 years of experience. I was delighted for the opportunity to have an industry mentor with such credentials and experience in one of the areas that I am the most interested in: project management. Darlene was a wonderful mentor who shared her experiences at Westinghouse and explained to me her responsibilities as a manager. She also introduced me to several people from Westinghouse and provided me with contacts that would greatly help me with my research. Thank you for everything, Darlene!

Throughout the conference, students were treated very well, we were treated as the future of the industry. During the opening meeting, Carol Berrigan asked us to stand up and introduced us to the attendees. Then she asked the attendees to look for us and to interact with us and emphasized the importance of doing so.

I was stunned by the speakers at the conference; they were all outstanding and hold very important positions: an U.S. Navy admiral, CEOs, managers, directors, etc. I was very fortunate to meet some of them, and as a civil engineer I was particularly interested and excited about meeting Dr. Patricia Galloway, a Purdue alumna who was the first woman to serve as president of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

During my last day in Seattle, I was given a tour of the Columbia Generating Station, the only commercial nuclear power reactor in the Northwest. We were taken to the most important components of the plant, including the control room and the generator. The measures to ensure both the security of the plant and employee’s safety are amazing, and these definitely need to be shared with those who are uninformed and oppose nuclear power. This will make a huge difference to public opinion.

Attending the 2010 U.S. WIN Conference was very beneficial to me from both academic and professional standpoints. I was able to meet a lot of representatives from the organizations studied in my research. These contacts would be very helpful in assisting me with the data collection and analysis processes and validation of my models’ results, which are critical for completing my dissertation. Professionally, the conference gave me the opportunity to learn more about current issues in the nuclear industry. In addition, I was able to explore and identify areas that I can work in as a practitioner in the nuclear industry once I graduate.

Finding WINspiration - Elizabeth Castanon, Texas A&M Univeristy -Kingsville

For more than 15 years, I lived only a few miles away from the South Texas Project. However, until recently I knew very little of the nuclear industry. If it hadn't been for Women in Nuclear, I probably still be in the dark about nuclear and would never have chosen it as a career path. But as it so happened, my junior year at Palacios High School several organizations including Nuclear Power Institute and WIN came together to form POWER SET (Powerful Opportunities for Women Eager and Ready for Science, Engineering, and Technology). Through this program I was introduced to nuclear and to people who inspired me to pursue a career in this field.

The summer before my freshman year has been one full of questions: Have I chosen the right field? Will all the studying for degrees be worth it? But after going to the 2010 WIN Conference, I'm much more confident in my choices. The conference was a time full of laughs and meeting new people; it was also a time full of learning valuable knowledge and skills and dipping my feet into the pool of nuclear's social network. As a young woman, it was inspiring to see so many women passionate about the nuclear field and even more inspiring to know that I was a part of it.

From the amazing speakers to beautiful Seattle itself, the conference was an event I'm grateful to have gone to, and I can't even begin to express how much I enjoyed. I hope it continues on until I can offer the same inspiration to future students that the women of U.S. WIN have given to me.

WIN Seattle 2010 - John Abruzzini, California Polytechnic State University-San Lusi Obispo

Just over two months ago, the idea of a professional development conference, let alone an office, was foreign to me. All I knew was schoolwork, control rooms, stainless steel, welding rods and crescent wrenches. This was before I accepted an internship offer to work for Energy Northwest. Not only did I get an office, but four weeks into my internship Marsha Eades recommended that I apply for the Nuclear Energy Institute student sponsorship program. I’m glad she did. The U.S. Women in Nuclear Conference in Seattle was an incredible experience that made a lasting impression on me. Professional development opportunities were accompanied by relaxed networking sessions—even early morning fitness walks to burn off those extra pastries.

A great aspect of the conference was the technical presentations. The presentations were full of relevant facts and figures, and the material was presented in a superb fashion. Lots of learning was going on, but it never felt like being stuck in a classroom. The breakout sessions flew by. Before I knew it, the session I was in was over and I was off to another. One of the presentations that really left a mark on me was the “Issues in Isotope Production and Use.” The isotope production breakout session embodied one of the key goals of the conference: raising awareness. I for one was not aware that medical isotope production was even an issue. I took radiological imaging for granted. Now I realize that isotopes such as molybdenum-99 are in short supply, and its availability dictates the availability of many imaging procedures.

I was also unaware at the amount of progress being made toward new plant construction. The Sanmen units in China are well on their way to completion (ahead of schedule). New plant construction is also occurring domestically and is ultimately the realization of the latest nuclear renaissance. New units are no longer a dream but a reality.

Finally, I would like to thank Richiey Hayes and NEI for sponsoring me to attend the conference. I had an amazing experience, learned many new things and met great people. One can only learn so much in school. Internships and conferences such as the U.S WIN Conference pave the way for a clear path to professional development.

While I was at the U.S. WIN Conference, I wrote the essay in the lobby of the Westin Hotel largely based on the positive experience I had at the WIN conference and my internship this summer. I recently received word that I was awarded a $3,500 scholarship for school, the first scholarship I have received in my college career. The scholarship would have not been possible without the support of NEI, WIN and Energy Northwest.

Thank you all for your support.

To see all Student/Mentor photos, please access HERE; the password is 2010win.