My grandmother was a tough woman. She was born in 1900, and she had six children, including a son who died as a baby. When my grandmother was a teenager, she wanted to attend high school. She was a good student and wanted to continue her education. Her father told her that it wasn’t necessary for her to continue school because all she was going to do was raise children. She did raise children, and she did it well. She had two sons who experienced action in World War II in the South Pacific. One of these sons spent three months on Guadal Canal, and my grandmother had no idea where he was, or even if he was alive. I cannot imagine the stress my grandmother had to endure from the horror of this experience. During the war, my grandfather and grandmother worked in the automotive plants in Flint, Michigan. My grandfather worked on aircraft engines, and my grandmother was a government tank inspector at the former Fisher Body complex. My grandmother lost my grandfather the day before their 50th wedding anniversary in 1969. I was only three years old at the time, so I really only knew my grandmother as an independent, single woman. She always worked, mostly as a housekeeper and cook at her local Catholic parishes. She never had the opportunity to attend high school and college, let alone pursue a career.
I spent the past 34 years as an engineer in the automotive industry. It wasn’t easy for a woman engineer in a male dominated industry. I found many situations in my career frustrating. There were times I nearly quit. During these difficult moments, though, my grandmother would come to mind. I would have to remind myself that I was living her dream. I was able to get the education. I was able to pursue the career. My grandmother was never afforded these opportunities. I was making a difference. It truly was a luxury that I had! My grandmother helped to encourage me. She cheered me on through my schooling. Even after she passed, she was with me, encouraging me every step of the way. She knew that I would make a difference in a way she wasn’t allowed to.
I’m not finished with my contributions to the engineering world. I’m still living my grandmother’s dream. There are things that I look back on in my career thinking perhaps I should have done more for women. I worked hard to ensure equity, and I have to remind myself that I have done what I could in the time and generation that I have lived. I will continue to educate others to bring about equity and fairness for all. When I think about it, I know that women of my generation and I have made a significant difference for the next generation of women. I hope that the women entering the workforce today look back to the women of my generation with gratitude for the road we paved. I hope they look back just like I look back to my grandmother and thank her for her mark in the world and her fight to make it a better place for me.
Copyright 2019 Beyond the General LLC.
Jeanette Kurnik is CEO of Beyond the General LLC. She has 34 years of automotive controls engineering experience and is an advocate for women in engineering.
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