Dallas SWE is pleased to recognize Ashley Johnson as a Member of the Month for August 2022! With our Member of the Month program, Dallas SWE seeks to recognize some of our non-officer members whose technical contributions, leadership accomplishments, or SWE volunteer service are particularly noteworthy. If you would like to nominate a Dallas SWE member for his/her contributions, please email us at dallas.swe@gmail.com.
Check out Ashley’s story below!
I grew up in a family that encouraged me in anything I wanted to pursue, whether education, sports, or anything else – as long as I gave it my best. My dad is an engineer, and I followed in his footsteps with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Texas A&M.
I fell in love with engineering my sophomore year of college. My passion continued to grow with my first engineering job – an internship at L3Harris. I was able to use what I was learning at my internship to contextualize my classes and better understand the real-world applications of my education. I started my work at L3Harris as a Mechanical Designer, transitioning the next summer to Mechanical Systems. I remained a member of the Mechanical Systems team for the next six years, where I was able to grow both my technical and my leadership skills. During this time, I also pursued my Master’s in Mechanical Engineering through UTA (using L3Harris’ Education Assistance program). I ultimately got the opportunity to be the Mechanical Systems lead for the program I was working, which led to my next role as a Project Engineer.
This role challenged me in many ways beyond my technical acumen, and I got the opportunity to expand beyond my mechanical background. I also started pursing a Master’s in Systems Engineering through a corporate cohort. I really enjoyed learning more about the programmatic and contractual side of business, but learned I missed being in the technical “weeds”. I had the opportunity to work with some of the Missions System engineers, which ultimately led to my current role as a Systems Engineer. While I could have never predicted this would be my career path, I am so grateful for the various opportunities I have received and the lessons along the way. More than anything, I am grateful for the many people who have invested in me and have given me a chance. I hope that I am able to impact people for the better, like so many have done for me.
When I was growing up, and even in college, I recognized that there were not a lot of women in the sciences and engineering – but I honestly thought that was their choice. My frame of reference was parents who supported me and encouraged me to consider engineering. I discovered once I joined the workplace, not everyone is as supportive. And not every female is encouraged to embrace the STEM aptitude she demonstrates. My husband is an incredible and supportive partner who doesn’t let his ego dictate his reactions to my successes – but it turns out that’s not necessarily the norm.
I got involved in bringing back the Women’s Leadership Employee Resource Group at my workplace in 2017 and served as an officer until December 2021. In this role, I was able to help others grow their networks, feature leaders in various speaker series, be involved in a business book club, and have a voice with our site leadership. I personally learned and grew as a leader, an employee, and engineer, and also a feminist. I found my voice communicating about the complexities of fixing the diversity problems we face in America, and in helping women (and men!) grow.
I joined SWE because I wanted a reach that was broader than my workplace. All the diversity efforts in the world won’t work if we wait until people are in the workplace to care. We have to recognize that there is a pipeline problem, starting when women are very young. My passion is to give back to others in the same way my parents and mentors have given to me – to see their potential, embrace it, and encourage them to learn and grow in ways they never dreamed. SWE has so many opportunities for me to embrace this passion, and I am really enjoying investing in the organization.
