Members of SWE Philadelphia, including Jessie Gmeinder, Tori Morgan, and Kimberly Bailey attended the WE Local event March 1-2 in Baltimore, MD. The WE Local conferences are a great way to participate in workshops and networking with just as much impact as Society-level conference but at a smaller scale (and maybe closer to home)! Philadelphia members can look forward to WE Local ’25 in Cherry Hill, NJ, with the opportunity to participate on the Local Host Committee – watch for calls to volunteer on the LHC or one of its 5 subcommittees this summer! https://welocal.swe.org/advisory-board/
Kimberly shared her experience as a first time professional conference attendee! “I had an amazing experience! I was able to learn from a multitude of women with diverse professional backgrounds and network with many new people, as there were over 800 attendees. Two sessions stood out as my favorites:
“Balancing Leadership at Work and at Home,” gave me insight from a panel of women who hold management positions while still having time and being there for their children. As I start to look at my career options and chart a path, their advice to create a support system with peers and with family resonated deeply.
“When You’re Stuck, Talk to the Duck,” introduced metacognition theory: the practice of being aware of one’s own thinking processes for problem solving. A fun and effective strategy was to reframe your thinking by talking out loud to a rubber duck! This strategy helps you to vocalize issues, clear your mind, and be able to find solutions without getting upset or stalled out on a problem. An innovative approach for different ways to think through problems and reach creative solutions!
I had an incredible experience meeting new people and exploring Baltimore and am grateful to my employer Pepco Holdings Inc., an Exelon Company for sponsoring me to attend.”
