LIKE A GIRL: #IWD2023

Despite the incredible advancements and contributions of women across #science, #technology, #engineering, and #mathematics (#STEM) fields, gender inequality and bias still hold women back in these industries. Today, women still make up a disproportionate amount of the workforce in STEM fields.

Jessica Garrett, MS, CISSP, TS/SCI is a Solutions Architect at SOSi. “There’s not a lot of women, when I walk into a room, I am often the only woman and I feel underestimated. I have to push harder to get my voice heard.”

Walking into a room full of men in STEM fields as the only woman can be an intimidating and isolating experience. While it can be challenging, it is important to remember that you belong in that room just as much as anyone else and that your contributions and ideas are valuable.

After working in this field for more than a decade, Jessica says that she has found SOSi to be different. The program director, Steve Robles, and the site lead, Albert Rogers, have encouraged her career goals. When she shared her interest in pursuing cybersecurity, they supported her immediately. Every eight months, she had the opportunity to change positions, taking on additional responsibilities and growing into a leadership position.

Jessica’s biggest piece of advice to the women following in her footsteps and those of the countless women who paved the way is to be a constant student - eager to listen, observe, speak up & motivated. She feels strongly that women should never be afraid to go after what they want. She advises that it’s important to be vocal about your career aspirations, to hold yourself accountable for advocating for yourself and to work towards your goals no matter who tries to hold you back. 

At SOSi the culture is predicated on this kind of support. A woman-founded small business, SOSi leaders empower women in STEM and across the organization overall to create more opportunities for #digitALL women to thrive and drive innovation. Let’s celebrate the remarkable achievements of women on #InternationalWomensDay 2023... and work towards a future that is even more inclusive and diverse.