Oak Ridge's Y-12 introduces hundreds of girls to jobs in engineering

Y-12 National Security Complex hosted nearly 450 students from eighth through 12th grades on Feb. 22 for 2024’s Introduce a Girl to Engineering (IGTE).

The annual event, now in its 11th year, is one of several ways that Y-12 management and operating contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security work to engage with the workforce of the future. The students heard from a panel of female engineers, explored engineering disciplines at more than two dozen hands-on booths, and competed in a marshmallow launch, according to a CNS news release.

“This is one of my favorite days of the year,” said Y-12 Educational Outreach Specialist Kristin Waldschlager. “This year we had 29 booths and 120 volunteers, including many Y-12 employees. It’s just a thrill to watch these students interact with our staff and realize they could become engineers themselves.”

Julie Cramer, senior manager for Y-12 Safety and Industrial Hygiene and president of the Women in Nuclear Oak Ridge Chapter, has been involved with IGTE since its inception. This year, she led the panel discussion for the students. “I enjoy doing this event every year. It’s inspiring to me,” she said. “It fills my cup to come and get to talk to these young ladies, inspire them, and give them some career choices.”

This year’s event welcomed students from 18 schools, including those from school districts in Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Knox, Monroe, and Roane counties, as well as Oak Ridge and Maryville city schools.

Jocelyn, a sophomore from Anderson County High School, said, “I’m the only girl in my [engineering] class at the moment, so everything they were talking about - the fear of failure, having something to prove - I resonate with that a lot, and seeing them up there talking about it made me feel like I had a connection with them.”

“My favorite part of the day was the ability to talk to all the different colleges and learn about the different fields of engineering,” said Elliot, a sophomore at Sweetwater High School. “I didn’t really realize how many different fields there were, and it was cool just to be able to talk to people who went through their college experience.”

All the fun activities and discussions have a serious goal - to encourage more women to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degrees. Y-12 has hired several women who attended previous IGTE events as teens.

“Our mission is vital to our nation’s security, and I want to share that energy and enthusiasm with the next generation,” said National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office Manager Teresa Robbins. “We need the best and brightest to continue our mission, and the way to do that is to be here, spend time with these girls, and get them motivated and energized about their future in STEM.”