MR Clinical Solutions GE Healthcare
In 2014, Ane, a 17-year-old woman from a small town in Brazil, was at a crossroads, preparing to transition from high school to the next stage of her life.
“I was passing through a moment. I felt I was so young, but I was really lost. I didn’t know what to do in my life,” Ane explains. “I had some options – which we always do – but I wasn’t sure of my direction.”
Ane was inclined to pursue Civil Engineering. Her father was passionate about it, she had male cousins in the field, and she liked the idea of constructing something that would come to life. Her father, however, had some reservations.
“He worried about me. He understood it to be a dangerous profession which required you to be on construction sites. For this reason – and the fact that it is a largely male dominated field – he encouraged me to consider becoming a doctor or lawyer instead. He wanted me do to something ‘safer.’”
It was during this period that British actor and 2014 UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson delivered a moving speech to the United Nations to launch its new HeForShe initiative, which aims to get men and boys to join the feminist fight for gender equality. At the end of the speech, Emma famously invited listeners “to step forward, to be seen, and to ask yourself: If not me, who? If not now, when?”
“It was an iconic line. You can’t just hear it… it moves you,” says Ane.
Following the speech, the actress – who rose to fame as Hermione Granger in the wildly popular Harry Potter franchise films – hosted a Q&A on Twitter to answer questions related to the HeForShe initiative. (It should be noted, Ane is a big Harry Potter fan, even boasting the Twitter handle @LordVoldemot – a play off the infamous Lord Voldemort character from the series.)
“I decided to message her, but I didn’t actually expect her to reply,” explains Ane.
But Emma did reply! And with three simple words, Ane went from feeling young and lost, to ready and motivated.
Emma Watson responded: “@lordvoldemot @HeforShe Become an engineer”
“It still makes me laugh because it’s just three words – and they’re so simple,” says Ane. “Sometimes you want to want to inspire someone and say lofty phrases like ‘climb those mountains’ but all you do is put pressure on the situation. In reality, you just have to do it – and that’s what those three words told me to do.”
Following Emma’s response, Ane received an overwhelming amount of support on Twitter from men and women all over the world, encouraging her to pursue her passion.
“I was inspired by so many people believing in a young person like me. It felt like a mass message to youth,” adds Ane. “I read every comment and message I received, but the video from GE stood out. My father still will cry when he watches it.”
Soon after Ane’s initial tweet and Emma’s response, Anja and a team from GE prepared a video response of their own. The video featured Anja as one of three female GE engineers from various parts of the business with a clever hashtag that included Ane’s moniker: #becomeanengineer.
Anja reflects: “When I was first asked to record a motivational video for a stranger halfway around the world, I was very skeptical. Who am I to tell this girl that she should become an engineer? What could I possibly have to say that would influence her in any way? But I was inspired by seeing Emma Watson use her voice as a powerful advocate for young women in STEM, so I thought it about it for a few minutes, then recorded a short clip in my office on my cell phone to capture my thoughts on why Ane should become an engineer.”
“There is no better inspiration than when you are led by example,” says Ane. “Having so many incredible female engineers saying you can do it… that they’ve done it and you can too – that moment really changed something for me. I just said ‘you know what, I’m going to do it. If it doesn’t work, at least I tried.’”
Reflecting upon seeing the post Ane’s father shared, Anja comments: “We had no idea what would happen when we sent that video out, but many years later – to see that it had an impact – it’s incredibly rewarding. It made me realize that a small gesture or thoughtful word can be so powerful and can even change the course of someone’s life.”
“GE’s video and all the responses I received to Emma’s tweet played a big, big role in my life,” reflects Ane. “It was wild to think of people taking time out of their day to produce something like that to encourage me. I felt like everyone had my back in a way, and when you’re young and you don’t know what to do with your life that means so much. That video made a major impact in my life.”
Last year, Ane graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering and soon received an offer for her first job.
“My dad is a crier. He cried when I graduated and when I told him about my job offer,” she laughs. “Later, I shared that I needed to buy equipment for my protection on job sites. He came home that night with a big smile and new hard hat in his hand for me. He is so adorable and encouraging of my choice. Both he and my mom really are great.”
Today, Ane practices Civil Engineering under the direction of an amazing female boss in Brazil. And she recently met with Anja via Zoom – recalling the whole experience and expressing gratitude for the support she received.
“I think the biggest problem when I was younger was the image I had of Civil Engineering lacked representation, but now that I am in the field and get to meet so many different people, I am inspired,” Ane says. “I am so inspired by the women in my field and all that we can do. There’s great women with great energy and the future is so bright for us.”
Ane concludes: “Every person is so unique. The work you do is precious because it comes from you. So, if you want to do something but don’t see representation – just follow Emma and the GE team’s advice and become the person you want to see.”
“I’m not a big user of social media, so I certainly never thought I would send a Tweet to a stranger halfway around the world that would change her life,” says Anja. “In this case, being led by example and seeing actual manifestations of women happily leading careers as engineers meant more than words alone. Representation matters, and diversity matters. I am very optimistic about our future if the next generation includes bright, articulate young female engineers like Ane.”
In the wise words of Emma Watson: “If not me, who? If not now, when? ”
#HeforShe #BreakTheBias #LikeAGirl
