I encountered Cheryl Knobloch, the Director of the Women in Engineering Program, last year when I visited Penn State for the Society of Women Engineers Stayover. Her enthusiasm for bringing in and retaining women in the field of engineering is the definition of passion.

As a freshman in the College of Engineering, I jumped at the chance to attend the three-day Women in Engineering Program Orientation in August because Cheryl’s name was linked to it. One of her initial statements included the direction, “You will encounter adults here who you need to refer to professionally. But you and I are going to be in contact so much that you should just call me ‘Cheryl.’ ” A simple statement but from that moment on, I understood that this woman intended to stick it out, believe in me when I could see little hope myself.

Women in Engineering Program Orientation 2014

Rhetoric and Civic Life defines rhetorical situation as one which “is made up of several elements: the issue for discussion, the audience for the discussion and their relationship to the issue, as well as the rhetor, her reputation, and her relation to the issue” (p.45). While the book used breaking news as the prime rhetorical moment to address civil issues, I see Cheryl making use of a more long-term rhetorical situation where the issue revolves around diversity in engineering. Kairos refers to the suitability of an action at a given time. Therefore, Cheryl attracts young women engineers into a safe learning community because we enter engineering with uncertainties and fears.

Cheryl was one of two females in her engineering class while at college so she is familiar with her audience and their struggles. Cheryl understands that support from a community will produce more success. “It is difficult to image yourself in this profession if you do not see anyone else like you in it,” according to Cheryl. Therefore, she bombards us with role models, one after the other, including herself.

The idea that the shared enterprise of women engineers in everyday college life allows these same women to share their “tools from their toolbox” with the rest of the university defines the course which civic engagement runs. This path was paved by Cheryl.