Photo by Heather Coit
This year’s Women in Engineering Orientation was held at the Campus Instructional Facility, welcoming all of our new first-year and transfer students to The Grainger College of Engineering. At the event, WIE welcomed Arielle Gross Samuels, an alumna from the Class of 2011, to give this year’s keynote address. Arielle, who has held executive roles at corporations like Meta (formerly known as Facebook) and Blackstone, shared her personal stories and what they had taught her.
Growing up in Champaign, Illinois, Arielle was drawn to engineering and was excited to start at UIUC. Like many women in engineering, Arielle faced the challenge of being in a male-dominated field. Despite this, she excelled in her studies and graduated with honors. Throughout her career, Arielle has strongly advocated for diversity and inclusion in STEM. Her experiences showed her the importance of having role models and mentors, especially for women and underrepresented groups.
In her keynote speech, Arielle shared some important lessons she wished she had known when she started college. One piece of advice was to explore interests outside of engineering. Arielle believes that taking part in activities outside of your major is a great way to make a diverse group of friends and expand your horizons. She discussed how joining a business consulting club and a sorority were great parts of her college experience.
Arielle discussed the importance of doing quality work, no matter how small the task. She also advised students to build strong relationships, make smart financial decisions, act on their new passions, and take advantage of any opportunities that come their way throughout their education and careers.
To conclude, Arielle encouraged students to be active in class and ask questions. She reminded them that curiosity is important for learning, and that there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Referencing “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by author Yuval Noah Harari, Arielle said “Everything was created by humans in our evolutionary quest to survive and hopefully thrive. If everything is made up by humans, and I identify as human, I can make things up, too. If not now, when? If not me, who?” These words are an encouragement to step out of your comfort zone and to share your ideas confidently. Don’t be afraid to throw your hat in the ring.