Guest Bio:
Sandra Stepney is a 1983 graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in Civil Engineering. Sandra began her engineering career with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) in January 1984 and progressed her career in the Roadway Design Unit through 2007. In 2010, Sandra began working with the NCDOT Rail Division in various engineering and management positions, until retiring in 2018. After retirement from NCDOT, Sandra began working in the private engineering sector with Simpson Engineers & Associates. Sandra is a Professional Engineer licensed in North Carolina and a Certified Public Manager. Sandra currently serves on the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) Industry Advisory Board at North Carolina State University.

Show notes:
Sandra talks about being a woman civil engineer in a male-dominated field. She is likely the first African American woman to get a professional engineers (PE) license in the state of North Carolina. She’s worked as a civil engineer for the state Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and now works as a consulting engineer for a private engineering company in the Raleigh, NC area.

Sandra is a wife of a pastor and the mother of two grown children. She talks about her family, her love of math, and support from her math-teacher mom and her high school guidance counselor. We know that family support is so key to helping kids see themselves as STEM professionals. Growing up, she didn’t know anything about the connections between math and engineering. Her guidance counselor did, though, and encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone to attend a pre-engineering program at NC State in the late 1970s. Another key to her finding her path was interning as a high student at an engineering company. It helped her gain experience and she also earned money during the summers. It was a win-win.

“You can learn anything that is put before you,” Sandra shared. “You might not like the subject but you have to give it [your] attention.” She stresses the importance of pushing through difficulties and being well-rounded. Engineering should not be a scary word, she explained. “An engineer is a person who likes to create.” She didn’t let the hard subjects stop her from reaching her dreams. She credits her faith in God for a lot of her career development as a female engineer.

Do you have something you’d like to add? Leave a comment. Or leave us a voice message.

Check Out These STEM Dreams Resources:

• STEM Dream Activity Book for Kids
• STEM@home list

Help spread the word:
If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know in the comments below. Do you have questions? Use the contact form to reach out to us.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast; we release an episode each month.

Show Sponsor:

STEM Dreams podcast is sponsored by Wildlands Engineering, a water resources engineering firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wildlands is dedicated to increasing diversity in engineering and environmental sciences like geology and ecology.

Wildlands, thank you for helping us help the next generation of STEM dreamers.

Credits: Show sound effects and music was sourced from FreeSound.org.

Guest Bio:
Major Crandall is a native of Hertford, North Carolina and has nine siblings. He attended North Carolina State University, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Math. Upon graduating in 2003, he enlisted in the Army Reserves. After a short period with 982nd Signal Company Wilson, NC he enlisted in the Regular Army.

His initial active duty assignment was as a Video Telecommunication Technician with 2nd Infantry Division G6, South Korea. It was during this two-year assignment that his Non-Commissioned Officer leader encouraged him to apply for Office Candidate School. He was accepted and subsequently commissioned into the Army’s Signal Corps in 2007.

Following his commissioning, Captain Crandall deployed to Camp Phoenix Afghanistan where he served as a platoon leader with the 278th Signal Company 160th Signal Brigade and later as aid de camp, with duty in Kuwait. During a second deployment to Kuwait, he commanded the Headquarters and Headquarters Company 335th Signal Command Provisional, Camp Arifjan Kuwait, responsible for leading 120 Soldiers providing strategic communications services across Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Army Meritorious Unit Award; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal Campaign Medal (one Service Star); Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War On Terrorism Service Medal; Korean Defense Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; and NATO Medal.

Show Notes
There’s more to the Major than his official Army bio. Listen to the podcast to get to know about his phenomenal story from humble beginnings in rural Hertford, North Carolina to NC State and beyond.

Elizabeth City State University is one of many HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) in the United States.

Systems engineering is a branch of engineering that can be found in various industries and sectors, including the armed forces. Systems engineers help design systems that reduce waste and improve processes.

Major Crandall talks about doing the most with every opportunity you’ve been given in life, and not underestimating the power of encouragement to lift others up.

Do you have something you’d like to add? Leave a comment. Or leave us a voice message.

Check Out These STEM Dreams Resources:

• STEM Dream Activity Book for Kids
• STEM@home list

Help spread the word:
If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know in the comments below. Do you have questions? Use the contact form to reach out to us.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast; we release an episode each month.

Show Sponsor:

STEM Dreams podcast is sponsored by Wildlands Engineering, a water resources engineering firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wildlands is dedicated to increasing diversity in engineering and environmental sciences like geology and ecology.

Wildlands, thank you for helping us help the next generation of STEM dreamers.

Credits: Show sound effects and music was sourced from FreeSound.org.

Show notes: Rosalyn graduated from NC State University with a BS in Materials Engineering with an emphasis in metallurgical engineering. She worked in this field for seven years until getting laid off.

She was able to pivot to a career as a civil engineering project manager with the State of Florida, where she had to learn about the environment and land use impacts in and around the Everglades. Rosalyn has been in this role for over 23 years. She’s living proof that engineers and engineering are flexible.

I (Linda) met Rosalyn when I was a college freshman. Since I was a minority and first-generation college student, I was assigned a mentor to show me the ropes of student life and help me survive the college of engineering. Rosalyn did these things and so much more.

She also talks about the importance of getting involved with engineering student organizations as well as being a mentor and finding a mentor, especially as a minority student new to the college experience.

What to look for in a STEM mentor:

• Relevant experience in STEM
• A listening ear
• Objective perspective
• Tactful honesty
• Servant leadership
• Encouraging and fun personality

Terminology mentioned in this episode:

• HBCU which stands for historically black colleges and universities
• NSBE, pronounced “nezbie”, which stands for National Society of Black Engineers
• SWE, pronounced “swee”, which stands for Society of Women Engineers
• ASCE, American Society of Civil Engineers

Help spread the word:
If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know in the comments below. Do you have questions? Use the contact form to reach out to us.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast; we release an episode each month.

Show Sponsor:

STEM Dreams podcast is sponsored by Wildlands Engineering, a water resources engineering firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wildlands is dedicated to increasing diversity in engineering and environmental sciences like geology and ecology.

Wildlands, thank you for helping us help the next generation of STEM dreamers.

Credits: Show sound effects and music was sourced from FreeSound.org.