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‘A great way to go’: Event encourages girls to consider engineering

OPPD arrived with pedal-powered light bulbs, hand-crank circuits and a lifelike model of wires, poles, wind turbines and transformers.

The girls came with questions: Why are some power poles taller than others? What happens if a wire breaks? How long do you have to go to school to be an engineer?

For hundreds of middle and high school girls at Omaha Public Schools, the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day offered a small taste of life in an important, rewarding and in-demand career. OPPD joined half a dozen other employers on March 4 and 5 to show young women the many benefits of engineering.

“If you like to solve problems and be creative, engineering is a great way to go,” said Jene’ Reese, manager of Large Commercial & Industrial Sales and Services and a chemical engineer who has held numerous roles at OPPD.

Engineering as a career

In 2023, women accounted for just 16.7% of the professionals in architecture and engineering careers, according to the Society of Women Engineers. The event, hosted by Westview High School, encourages girls to consider engineering as a viable career option.

Reese told the students that engineering pays well and offers flexibility, which has allowed her to support her family while advancing in her career.

“That’s one of the reasons I encourage my girls to consider engineering,” she said. “It’s fun, and you get to work with great people.”

OPPD hires engineers from all sorts of disciplines. Mechanical. Electrical. Civil. Chemical. Industrial.

Every day, OPPD engineers crunch data, design new infrastructure and solve countless problems to ensure reliable, affordable and sustainable power throughout eastern Nebraska.

“Engineering is a great way to get into a lot of different fields,” said John Kelly, a senior economic development coordinator whose engineering background allowed him to work in a variety of OPPD jobs. “You get to do a lot of things that make a difference in the world.”

‘Different things every day’

Michelle Stolinski, an engineer II, began her journey Burke High School as a self-described “engineering nerd.”

Now, she helps maintain and expand the high-voltage transmission line network that sends power throughout OPPD’s service territory.

“I get to work on different things every day,” Stolinski said. “That’s pretty cool.”

Poom Pavavicharn, manager of Distribution Protection & Automation Engineering, initially planned to become a mechanical engineer in college. Her adviser, however, suggested she try electrical engineering given her strong math skills. It proved to be a good fit and eventually led to a career at OPPD.

“Engineering gave me opportunities to explore different parts of the world and to work in different industries. I really liked it,” Pavavicharn said.

‘Do your homework’

Of course, becoming an engineer requires a good deal of discipline and studying. Cynthia Morin, an engineer II who helps maintain and expand OPPD’s distribution network, encouraged the girls to focus on science and math classes.

Morin offered some solid advice as well: “Do your homework. Otherwise, you will struggle with engineering.”

The event at the Embassy Suites hotel and conference center in La Vista featured dozens of employers, including Google, Olsson Associates, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Nebraska Omaha Biomechanics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Aerospace Club and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Biomedical.