Enginearring Designs Blog
Confidence in STEM: Finding Your Voice
Confidence in STEM is often seen as something you either have or lack, but in reality it develops gradually through experience and small everyday moments. This post reflects on how confidence grows through participation, curiosity, and becoming more comfortable in unfamiliar spaces. Drawing on both industry and academic experience, it explores quieter forms of confidence that are often overlooked, such as asking questions, listening, and persisting through uncertainty. It highlights the connection between identity, belonging, and confidence, and encourages a more personal, sustainable approach to growth in STEM.
Identity in STEM: Seeing Yourself in the Story
International Women’s Day offers an opportunity to reflect on representation and identity in STEM today. This post explores how belonging develops through experience, confidence, and the everyday signals that remind us there is space for different personalities and perspectives in science and engineering. It introduces the STEM Crew, a small group of characters created to celebrate the many ways people connect with STEM. Rather than defining what someone in STEM should be, the characters highlight the diversity of interests, strengths, and identities that shape these fields, encouraging everyone to see that there are many ways to belong.
Belonging in STEM: Bringing Your Whole Self to Your Role
Belonging in STEM is not about fitting into a mould, but about feeling able to bring your whole self into your role. This post explores how identity, authenticity, and personal interests shape confidence, wellbeing, and long-term engagement in STEM. It reflects on why belonging often grows through small, everyday experiences rather than performance or perfection. The blog also considers how environments, visibility, and self-expression can support people in feeling more at home in engineering and science, helping them stay, grow, and thrive as their full selves.