Anna Krzyzanowska is an electrical engineer working as a Specialist at Danish Technological Institute.
Anna is an electrical engineer by profession and currently works as a Specialist at Danish Technological Institute. Her work revolves around printed electronics, printed nano sensors, IoT, nanotechnology, and electrical testing. Anna has an educational background within electrical engineering, obtained through their BSc. in Electrical Engineering and Nanotechnology. She built upon her bachelor’s with a Msc. in Sustainable Power Engineering Systems from Gdansk University of Technology in Poland. This allowed Anna to acquire a wide range of knowledge within her field, as she chose to study different fields of science and technology.
But Anna’s path to being a woman in STEM is a result of her fascination with technology as a child. Since childhood, Anna considers herself as a curious soul, always curious about the world around her. She mentions that already as a child, she had a keen interest within technical innovations, especially the principles of operation of various devices. Already as a child, Anna’s uncle and grandparents started teaching her concepts within physics and engineering, and they think that Anna got interested in STEM before she could even read. Anna loves that STEM has the ability to be applied to many issues and challenges that exist within our society. She thinks, STEM is the key to unraveling many mysteries around us. Anna has always been the one who loved asking questions and tried to find their answers. In fact, Anna mentions that she was never interested in the typical female activities and hobbies, but her main hobby was to do anything within the technical direction. In addition, Anna wanted to work towards changing the technologies around the world, and she knew that she would not be able to do that without a degree in STEM. Lucky for Anna, she has a very encouraging parents who have always supported her through it all. They never lost faith in Anna and are her biggest strength. But Anna has not only been lucky with her parent’s support, but her relatives have also always encouraged her to be a go-getter.
STEM to Anna means building a better future for herself, and the people around her by solving the many challenges that exist around us. According to Anna, STEM is focused on providing solutions to the concerns society has. “[This is] evident through human history, for example a lack environmental education has led to numerous challenges. These issues affect the health and well-being of all living organisms on our planet. Our environment needs protection. Thus, sustainability became one of the most urgent aspects studied by STEM disciplines.”
Throughout Anna’s studies, she had to face many difficulties mainly due to high intolerance and lack of acceptance. Some of her professors had a very ancient approach to women in colleges. Therefore, she thinks it is important for the future generation of women to be taught about the breadth of careers in STEM from an early age. Girls can gain first-hand experience in STEM employment through internships, career counselling, and job fairs. The right exposure and advice can help girls build the confidence and freedom to choose their own paths as they approach adulthood, and this will also allow them to feel more comfortable when they eventually join the STEM fields.
Anna’s 3 top wishes for changes which she would like to see within STEM are the following:
1.The future generation of women should be taught about the breadth of careers in STEM from an early age. Girls can gain first-hand experience in STEM employment through internships, career counselling, and job fairs. The right exposure and advice can help girls build the agency and freedom to choose their own paths as they approach adulthood.
2. Corporates must focus on creating truly inclusive workplaces by promoting equal pay, implementing impartial recruitment strategy, providing a better work-life balance for both genders, offering training and mentors to everyone, and ensuring strict and effective policies against harassment and workplace offense.
3. Students can also gain exposure to women in STEM through experiential activities such as film screenings, guest talks, and museum visits. STEM achievers from the school alumni can be great influencers, mentors, and role models showing the path towards achievable dreams.
To encourage more girls to join STEM, Anna's suggestion would be to expose girls to STEM fields and encourage them to explore their interests within these fields. Parents and educators should make it their top priority to try and keep girls away from any negative misconceptions that girls may develop regarding the STEM field. In schools, the environment should be such that girls feel as if they do belong within these fields. It is also important to expose girls and boy equally to science and technology, as this will allow them to build their interest into a career. Anna thinks that one of the reasons, there are so few women in STEM is because girls don’t get exposed to role-models enough. We need more female scientists talking to girls and try to inspire them so that one day they can picture themselves in similar roles.
Lastly, here are Anna’s closing words of encouragement for young girls who want to join a STEM field:
“Don't give up! No matter if it's in the field of engineering or anything else. We are women, we are heroes. Women are super powerful. For me, female strength is also sensitivity, tenderness, intuition and empathy. Persistence is the key to success. I want to tell women not to be persuaded that they are worse or weaker than men. Make your dreams come true and don't be afraid to reach for more.”
You can contact Anna Krzyzanowska on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-krzy/
I thank Anna Krzyzanowska for taking part in this project and answering all the questions in a very informative manner. I hope, your experience and STEM story will inspire a young girl to join a STEM field and excel just like you have.