I hold a bachelor's in Civil Engineering. I am a woman in STEM. This made me reflect on the route that led me to embark in a field that very few women are in or, as the data indicate, choose to be in.

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In high school, I wanted to become a physician. My parents, though, felt engineering would suit me better. My mom argued that a physician's life is exhausting, and she questioned if I had the physical fortitude for it. But the opinion that made a more significant impact was my father's, when he made clear that his company didn't have a vacancy for an MD but was in desperate need of engineers, especially in light of the large building projects it was undertaking at the time. I reflected and chose engineering, justifying my choice because I enjoyed analyzing things and solving math equations. And possibly also because companies in Kuwait, like my father's, would be eager to hire me. I began a major in Mechanical Engineering and switched midway to Civil Engineering. I graduated with honors alongside several other freshly minted female engineering graduates. While a STEM education itself wasn't a mismatch or especially challenging for a woman, I would discover later in my career that many of those women I graduated with weren't working in the industry. They went on to teach or work in other sectors unrelated to engineering or STEM.

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I continued my Master's in Building Science and Architecture at the University of Southern California. While completing my Master's, I also taught undergrads statistics, one of the classes in Civil Engineering. This was an eye-opener - I really enjoyed teaching and inspiring others, especially the younger generation. It truly motivated me as I spent more and more hours helping students. As a teacher's assistant, I ensured my classes were fun, engaging, and effective. I would later conduct myself similarly as a CEO, always adding an element of enjoyment in the process of meeting challenging goals. As an educator and leader, I was encouraged to up my game within the field of STEM. Which draws the logical conclusion that STEM was a source of inspiration to me. A woman.

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When I eventually graduated and started to work, it dawned upon me that the challenges facing a woman in the real world of STEM were more complicated than merely applying what we studied in school. There was a perception, across genders, that women in engineering are more suited to desk jobs rather than being out in the field. Since I joined my father's company, I could be on-site along with the other field-based engineers. But as I was an engineer surrounded by men, something odd was happening to me on a subconscious level. I was mirroring the traits of the men I worked with - dressing up and talking like them, suppressing my femininity to fit in and prove myself. The strangest part was, I didn't even realize I was doing that.

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It wasn't until I climbed the corporate ladder to management level as a deputy CEO that I took note of this behavior and did something about it. I chose to be me, a full-fledged, unapologetic woman. As I embraced my femininity as a high-profile executive in STEM, I started noticing a distinct lack of women in C-suite-level jobs. At this point, a realization set in that would define a bigger mission - to invest in empowering women in different areas of the corporate world. If you're a woman reading this, realize please that the opportunities in STEM are there, and career paths, available. I totally respect any woman who chooses to work outside of STEM after studying for it. But what I do implore is that such a choice be the outcome of truly following the path of your passion instead of believing that you have no place in STEM.

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Now having said this, a STEM career is not a walk in the park. The hours are long, the work, intensive, and it can be lonely. But where there's a will, there's a way.
Because I worked in my father's company, I put added pressure on myself to ensure that my work output eliminated any thought I was there due to nepotism. I was determined to prove that my success was on account of merit and performance, not privilege. I especially wanted my father to realize this. Which thankfully, he did, as he too, fearing being seen as a biased father, raised the bar for me in everything I did within his company. I used these challenging circumstances while working in my father's company to fuel my inner fortitude and forward motion while enjoying every step I took into my career as an engineer. This is how I know many women in the world will thrive in STEM, so long as they're resilient enough to cross some additional hurdles they'll face on account of their gender.

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My life's chapter of being a STEM professional motivated me to seriously inspire women to consider this field. When I was offered the opportunity to speak to the Engineering School of Kuwait University graduates, I noted with pride that 98% of the graduating class were women. I told the young lady engineers to go out into the world and conquer it. I told them it was possible to work in their majors; that if they gave a career in STEM a chance, they might discover the same joy and satisfaction I did.

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With the risk and uncertainty of many jobs in the world today, STEM majors are in demand. I continually speak to STEM employers, encouraging them to hire women. Because on the off chance that they encounter a woman like me, they will have a female who absolutely loves what she does, will excel in her career, and add value to the organization in that unique way only a woman can. Because we women are, after all, a rarity in STEM, which means we bring something different and powerful to the table.

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