Having a background in STEM is an accomplishment to be proud of

Sarah Tevis joined ABB as a graduate in 2018. She first worked as Proposal Engineer focusing on pressure transmitters and magnetic flowmeters. Since the beginning of 2023, she has worked as Associate Project Manager for ABB Measurement & Analytics. As a recent engineering graduate, we talked to Sarah about her career path so far.

With a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Biomedical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, Sarah Tevis embarked on a career in engineering straight after graduating from college. 

“I highly recommend the field of mechanical engineering. It is such a broad and diverse field, and you can explore different career paths,” says Sarah. 

The professional world of engineering has been more than welcoming to Sarah.

“I remember being the only woman in most of my engineering classes in college, and initially feeling intimidated. But working with female mentors throughout college and at ABB, I was able to gain confidence.”

Sarah says that she was lucky to have had great mentors at ABB who showed her the abundance of resources that ABB offers for career growth, not only for women, but for anyone within the company. 

“Whether it is through the ABB Encompass programs, Harvard ManageMentor Website, or the online eLearnings, ABB has so many different avenues to pursue your education.”

In her years at ABB, Sarah has learned that colleagues are more than willing to lend a hand or offer constructive criticism when needed.

“I have never had an interaction with an ABB colleague where they were not willing to listen, provide an answer, or suggest another person to reach out to. Everyone lives the values of collaboration and care.”

After four years of working as a Proposal Engineer and six months of Project Management training, Sarah is now finally leading her first project. 

“It is a great feeling to take the training wheels off and do something new. I take pride in taking accountability for my mistakes and try to learn from them.” 

Sarah’s biggest role model is without a doubt her mom. 

“She has worked in the pharmaceutical field her entire life and has managed large teams for the majority of her career. She has faced a lot of difficulties and always fixes problems with a smile on her face. I have learned so much from watching her succeed in her roles.” 

Sarah hopes to one day be able to mentor someone coming into the STEM field, and provide her knowledge of what she has learned throughout her time as an engineer. 

“Right now, I am still in the learning phase of my career. I have had so many great mentors at ABB, and would love to give back in the future once I am established in my career.” 

But she feels that she can already share some advice with other women and girls who are starting a career in one of the STEM fields.  

“Have confidence in yourself. Having a background in STEM is such an accomplishment, and something to be proud of. Understand that no one knows everything, especially early in their career. Be confident enough to ask questions when you are not sure. Reach out to other women in your field for advice, and never feel insecure if you are the youngest in the room, or the only woman in the room.”

Sarah vividly remembers an episode early on in her career when she was talked-over by someone in the room. Her female manager at the time interrupted and asked for her to be allowed to finish her sentence and get her point across. 

“This impacted me and I always remember feeling supported by my managers at ABB.”  

But how can the engineering industry attract and retain more women in the field? 

“I wish that high schools provided more exposure to the STEM fields in order to attract women to the field before further education. In my family, there are many male engineers, and being the only woman engineer made me feel isolated at times. Being a part of communities such as the Society of Women Engineers has definitely helped, and I hope to be able to encourage other women to pursue the field of engineering.”