Rebecca White, Sc’01, knows the value of mentorship. White was one of the first participants in Science Quest, a not-for-profit outreach program for kids run by the Engineering Society of Queen’s University. This early introduction to science, technology, engineering, and math would prove influential in her life.
“I credit Science Quest, in part, for my decision to study engineering at Queen’s,” White recalls.
A mid-career change saw White shift gears from the pharmaceutical industry to her current position as CEO of Engineers of Tomorrow, a not-for-profit company implementing engineering outreach and classroom mentorship opportunities, she knew it was the right fit.
“I had done a lot of reflecting and one of the things that stood out for me was of a time when I remember feeling so passionate, excited, and happy during my time at Science Quest.”
Working closely with Erica Lee Garcia, Sc’00, founder of Engineers of Tomorrow and a fellow Queen’s alum, White draws on her positive mentorship experiences, both as a Science Quest camper and later as a counsellor in her current work.
In 2019, she received a Queen's Engineering Excellence Award for her work. During the ceremony, Dean Kevin Deluzio of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science highlighted the importance of practicing engineering with an inclusive perspective to meet the needs of a diverse population. It was an observation that dovetailed with White’s work at Engineers of Tomorrow.
“We have a wonderfully diverse demographic of volunteers that are going into classes and they are sharing those messages with the next generation, so that we can have this positive cycle going forward.”
The organization’s in-class mentorship program, Engineers in Residence, has been so successful that it has expanded beyond Ontario to have a presence in all 10 provinces. According to White, the program has two main benefits: connecting children and young people with the human side of engineering; and developing useful skills mentors can bring back to their workplaces.
In this way, she says, the program is not just creating an inclusive future for the next generation of engineers, but also creating a stronger profession today.
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