Meet Alynda Williams. She is a junior in Civil Engineering.

How does being one of the only women in your classrooms affect your work ethic?

“It doesn’t affect my work ethic. I feel like it makes me better because it’s like ‘I’m really doing this’ and people are not doing what I’m doing, and it kind of motivates me”

What does your STEM classes typically look like gender-wise?

“White males, it’s probably like that one black guy here, but I’m usually the only black female in most of my classes.”

Do your teachers tend to ask the males more questions than the females? If so, how does that make you feel?

“No”

Have you completed any internships yet? If so, was it hard getting them in the first place?

“No, not yet”

What is your future career?

“I want work in transportation.”

What impact do you want to make in your career?

“To be able to positively give back to my community [DeKalb County]. Just be able to fix the things we want to be fixed like traffic, potholes, and creating the platform for what is being out to the public. Plus, the project management side. So, managing the projects.”

What company do you wish to work for?

“GDOT [Georgia Department of Transportation]  or something with transportation.”

What do you want to achieve before you graduate college?

“I would like to become the president of either the Society Women Engineers or the American Society of Civil Engineers. I would like to graduate with a 3.5, get over 100 hours of community service [currently at 54 hours]. Making sure I’m out of here class-wise by 2022.”

If you had a message for anyone who is just now starting their major and is in the same major as you, what will it be?

“Just take it one day at a time and if you were to fail, it’s okay you can retake the class. If you feel like you need to drop it, drop it. It’s going to work out in the end. Just try your best, it’s not that bad. Just pay attention. Ask for help if you need help, don’t sit and suffer.”