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Betty J Baker
Product Engineer, Ashley Furniture
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Say yes! Keep an open mind and say yes to new opportunities that arise in your future careers.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I am a Product Engineer that creates new product to be produced in our factory. I use SOLIDWORKS as the CAD package which has lead me to be a SOLIDWORKS User Group leader along with becoming the Midwest SOLIDWORKS regional representative. Because of my CAD experience I also helped start a FIRST Robotics team helping mentor SOLIDWORKS.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS FIELD?
Living in a rural area I did not have any female role models in this field. I started at the company in the factory and went back to school for Mechanical Design. I was the only female in my graduating class and the only female at my company in Engineering.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK AT & THINK, "I WISH YOUNGER ME WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS POSSIBLE?"
Almost all of my achievements wish I would have known this at a younger age. Starting a FIRST Robotics team has been very rewarding and I wish this is something I could have done many years ago.
WHY DO YOU LOVE WORKING IN STEM?
I love working in STEM and sharing my knowledge with kids. I love showing them what is possible and seeing their excitement when they realize they can do something they never knew existed. I enjoy seeing that ah ha moment for them or seeing that light bulb come on. Seeing them be able to learn a new skill or take a turn in their career path is very rewarding.
BEST ADVICE FOR NEXT GENERATION?
Say YES! Keep an open mind and say YES to new opportunities that arise in your future careers. Most of my most rewarding experiences in my career were because I took a chance and said YES to something I was unsure of.
INSPO / FUN FACT
"Be the change that you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi