As part of the Society of Women Engineers High School Stayover, students check out some of the majors and extracurricular activities Penn State offers during an involvement and majors fair in Kunkle Lounge. (Photo credit: Society of Women Engineers)

By Erin Miller

A scavenger hunt of the Penn State campus for the high school students isn’t complete without a photo with the Nittany Lion Shrine. (Photo credit: Society of Women Engineers)

Thursday, March 20, kicked off the 2014 High School Stayover organized by the Penn State Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

The two day event hosted 68 accepted female students to experience college life from the perspective of a current female engineering student.

Going to class, eating in the commons and many other events were scheduled for the participants to attend.

On Friday evening, SWE jointly hosted a send-off dinner with the Women in Engineering Program for both participants and parents.  At the dinner participants and parents learned about programs like the Women in Engineering Program Orientation (WEPO), on-campus special living options and how to get the most out of college classes and clubs.

Networking with current students and peers provided participants with the opportunity to make connections throughout and after the program ended.

Penn State SWE organizes the stayover program each year to encourage high school women to pursue an engineering field and to attend Penn State.

At a dinner, students and their parents learned about the opportunities at Penn State, including orientation, special living options and how to get the most out of college classes and clubs. (Photo credit: Society of Women Engineers)

The program highlights areas such as class schedules, different engineering majors and involvement opportunities at Penn State and within the College of Engineering.

The stayover would not be possible without the generosity of SWE’s corporate sponsors and the hard work and enthusiasm of all of SWE’s volunteers, and faculty advisers.

Erin Miller is a fifth-year architectural engineering student from Collegeville, Pa., and an active member of SWE, WEPO, the Engineering Orientation Network and the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society.

Where do you think your shoes could take you? Could you explain it effectively in 350 words for cash prizes for your organization?
“Where will your shoes take you?” was the essay question that the Penn State Society of Women Engineers (SWE) answered in 350 words that won them a total of $16,800 in prize money to be given in part to their engineering programs.

The contest, named Create Your Own Path, was sponsored by Schlumberger and the National Society of Women Engineers. This is the third year that the organization has won this essay competition.

Contestants had to creatively answer where they thought their non-traditional careers would take them. Penn State had 148 entries followed by Ohio State with 95. Penn State was awarded $100 per entry and an additional $2,000 for having the highest number of entries.

Kelsa Benensky, a mechanical engineering junior, won first-place for an essay about her parents’ influence on her to go for her dreams.

“I learned from their example that if you follow your heart and really go for it that there is nothing stopping you,” said Benensky. She also said it means a lot to Penn State’s SWE organization to have done so well in the competition because their success raised money to help young women in engineering at Penn State.

“SWE really gives women engineers a great opportunity to network, make friends and give back to the Penn State community,” explained Benensky. She intends on using her prize money to attend the American Nuclear Society’s winter meeting, meet her mentor and network with other professionals in this field.

SWE President Kylie Sheplock echoed what Benensky had to say. “I am so happy that this year SWE has continued the tradition with winning the essay contest. Schlumberger is a wonderful company who has been always generous to Penn State SWE, and it is nice to see how important it is for them to get women interested in engineering.”

Four engineering student groups are doing their part for the annual Penn State vs. Michigan State Blood Donor Challenge.

Kunkle Lounge will host a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 2. Donors will receive a challenge T-shirt, pizza and coupon package from area businesses.

To schedule an appointment, donors can go to www.psuredcross.org.

The event is sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Engineers Without Borders, Society of Women Engineers and Engineering Graduate Student Council.