The Senior Sleepover, an event where female high school seniors spend time with current students and participate in activities related to the College of Engineering, was held Friday, February 1, for its 13th year at Iowa State. There were 31 seniors in attendance.
“The event is designed to encourage young women to pursue an engineering career and to show them that Iowa State is a great place to start their adventure,” said Sadie Johnson, recruitment coordinator for Engineering Student Services.
One of the benefits of the Senior Sleepover experience is being able to spend time on campus and experience the college atmosphere. Participants also have the chance to meet with current members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), engineering faculty, and other campus leaders.
And the students seem to appreciate the welcoming environment. According to Johnson, past years have seen up to 94 percent of participants enrolling in the College of Engineering.
The Senior Sleepover, along with events run by groups like the SWE, is among many outreach programs designed to promote diversity and highlight the programs and resources available to women in the College of Engineering.
“Increasing enrollment of women engineers makes for a stronger, more diverse program, and that leads to a wider variety of approaches and ideas for solving engineering problems,” said Susie DeMoss, recruitment coordinator for Engineering Student Services.
The Senior Sleepover included a mix of academic, exploratory, and social aspects. It began at noon Friday, with the opportunity to attend a class on campus and a glass blowing activity with the ISU Gaffer’s Guild.
The participants went to State Gym for activities and back to Gateway Hotel for games and movies. They returned Saturday morning for presentations and sessions with several departments, such as electrical and computer engineering and industrial engineering.
The event concluded with a banquet Saturday night for attendees and their families.