Ellyn Lester, assistant dean of construction and architectural technologies, speaks talks about her career at a presentation about women in construction at Penn College. KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
“My career was really bolstered and supported by the women that I’ve met along the way,” Ellyn A. Lester, assistant dean of construction and architectural technologies at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, told a group of students and staff, all women, at an event celebrating Women’s History month.
Speaking about her experience in what historically was considered a “man’s job,” Lester stressed the importance of finding a mentor.
Within the context of mentoring, Lester explained that males who have someone to serve as their mentor are 23 percent more likely to get their next promotion, whereas for females, it’s only 19 percent.
“That makes a huge difference in the course of your career,” she said.
For women in a male-dominate field, a stumbling block to the mentor relationship could develop because 77% of mentors look for a “mini me” to work with.
“I’ve had a lot of great men that I’ve worked with, don’t get me wrong, and they’ve helped me tremendously, but that was a very specific relationship that happened over time. Knowing that most people, the majority, are looking for someone that looks like them, you have to exert yourself. You have to reach out to make that connection and potentially to ask for them to become your mentor, which is a hard thing for women to do,” she said.
Lester also emphasized the importance of collaboration or the process of co-workers bringing to the table their strengths and using them to solve
problems and yield results.
“I think we women do collaboration probably better than men. I hate to say that. I’m not trying to say anything negative, but I think we can do a really good job of collaborating and sharing and bolstering each other,” she said.
She encouraged women to volunteer, which she noted had propelled her career.
“And then be part of the solution,” she said.
“This is a huge thing. A lot of people come to their supervisor and say there are the problems- solve them for me…if you have that attitude, are you helping or hindering,” she asked those attending.
During a discussion period following her presentation, one woman shared that as she listened to Lester she realized that she had never had a mentor.
“That would have been nice,” she said.
Another woman, Jessica Oberlin, who works as a librarian for Lester’s division, questioned how young girls can be shown the opportunities in the architecture and construction fields.
“How can we, even with the younger (women), before they get to Penn College, how can we give that exposure…if they don’t have it in the schools or in their life,” Oberlin asked.
She admitted that she had loved looking at building plans when she was younger, but there was no encouragement or someone to look to as an example to follow.
Lester, in addressing Oberlin’s question, referred to a program upcoming later this year when high school students from the area come to Penn College to learn more about what disciplines are offered.
“I want to go to the middle school level. I hope we can do that for the next one…because you have to get the parents and you have the students when they can envision it,” Lester said.
If students are exposed to the information later, there is always the risk of them not being able to schedule the requirements needed.
“I also don’t think they understand how far the professions have come-whatever profession you’re talking about in the built environment…I think that when people get a photo image in their mind of construction, they still think you’re digging a ditch,” she said.
“They don’t understand the amount of electronic knowledge you have to have to be able to do even the most simple thing in HVAC or solar…let alone the creative end- the engineers and architects and the construction management,” she added.
Franchesca Ybarra, a senior in Welding and Fabrication Engineering Technology, said that her interest in the field was sparked by classes that were offered at her high school.
“I didn’t have that in my family as far as introducing the trades and everything. That was in my junior year in high school that welding came into my life. At that time it was fun but the mindset wasn’t there. I had to just take the lead but I had not clue when I was younger, so introducing it at a younger age would probably be the best thing ever,” Ybarra said.
One woman discussed how misogyny is internalized in the things we offer little girls and even babies for play. She noted that her eight-month-old daughter was offered dolls and other traditionally accepted toys for girls by well-meaning relatives and friends.
“I think it’s really interesting that from the time they’re teeny, tiny babies, we’re coding them to do these things,” she said.
“There’s not a single thing that we receive from a family member that’s like STEM toys, or Legos, Lincoln Logs, nothing like that,” she stated.
The importance of opportunities offered when she was younger was cited by Lauryn Stauffer, an Automation Engineering Technology:Robotics and Automation student at the college, for her desire to enter that field of study.
“When I went to vocational school, I was aiming to be a nurse. Then in high school I realized that I didn’t like it, so I was able to switch,” she said.
It was then that she was offered the opportunity to work with electronics and robots.
“I was like that sounds like so much fun, let’s try it. I didn’t actually think I’d like it. I just liked being able to build something and seeing it work. It was just amazing to see that connection happen. That when I make something I make something happen for others,” Stauffer said.
When she first came to Penn College, the degree didn’t exist, she said.
“I originally came in for electronics. I think the word electronics can be a little bit more gender-specific. So, like a lot of girls that I went to high school with they were just thinking, let’s go be a nurse and I just think there was just a stigma to go to an area that was already safe. They didn’t want to go to an area that was already safe. They didn’t want to go outside of that box, and I took that chance,” she said.
“I feel like now we have a lot more risk takers, which you can see with my major because there are three females now that came in this year. So, that’s amazing,” she added.
All of the women seemed hopeful that opportunities are opening up for more “risk takers” like Stauffer.
“I look at all these career opportunities and I just say, I didn’t know they existed,” one woman said.
“When I look at being able to expose the younger generation to the vast world in front of them. Those opportunities are boundless for what they can do. I just feel like that’s so exciting,” she added.
