Finding Her Calling, Inspiring Women Engineers
Stefanie Anderson, senior manager of engineering for Baxter's Infusion Therapies and Technologies business, wasn’t always certain of her engineering career path. However, she did have a guiding light in the industry – her mother. Throughout her career, Stefanie has been passionate about supporting her colleagues, just as Stefanie's mom did for her. We recently interviewed Stefanie about her career path and her inspiration.
Question: Was there a pivotal movement that led you toward wanting to become an engineer?
Stefanie: It was actually more of a gradual shift for me, rather than a specific moment that set me on my career path. Both of my parents are civil engineers, and I had spent summers working with my mom. I thought I knew what an engineering career would look like, and I was positive that I didn't want to follow in my parents' footsteps.
I started out college as a pre-med student, but halfway through my junior year I realized that this wasn't my passion. I found myself missing the chance to flex my analytical, problem-solving skills. So, I took the leap and decided to switch to bioengineering and absolutely loved it.
Q: What was the best piece of advice that you ever received along your career journey that has stayed with you?
The best advice I've received, and think about often in my role, is that if you feel passionate about something that needs to be done, lean into it. This advice lingers in the back of my head daily, and I've been fortunate to have managers at Baxter who support my ideas and desire to take on stretch assignments.
Stefanie, Senior Manager, Engineering, Infusion Therapies and Technologies
Q: What do you love about your role, your team and the impact you get to make every day?
Stefanie: I love that our products are making a real difference and that I can see that immediate impact on patients' lives. I feel fortunate that no day is the same in my role and I'm kept on my toes, which I find really exciting.
Now that I'm a manager, I enjoy watching my team find their own love for problem-solving as we navigate through challenges together. I remember, and channel, previous leaders who made an immense impact on my career and have inspired me to be a better leader. For example, I encourage my team to never be afraid to ask tough questions and bring a new perspective that challenges the team.
Q: What are your passions outside of work? How do you connect those outside interests to the work you do at Baxter?
Stefanie: I love finding ways to tap into my creative side, outside of work. My job is really analytical, so I take every opportunity to nurture the more creative side of my personality. Specifically, I enjoy cooking, gardening and graphic design – I'm actually a self-taught graphic designer.
Being creative allows me to think outside of the box at work. I find bringing my passion for creativity into my role helps me solve complex problems more effectively and unearth solutions that might not be immediately obvious.
Q: It's Women's History Month. What advice would you give women thinking about a career in engineering?
Stefanie: Starting at a young age, we need to provide strong role models to help build young women's confidence and give them examples of strong women using their voices. I'm lucky enough to have my mom as a role model who encouraged me to pursue engineering, use my voice and have the confidence to speak up for myself and what I believe in.
The best advice I can give people who are considering a career in engineering is to stick with it. There's no doubt that the schooling is incredibly challenging, but the work is rewarding. Also, I encourage people to seek out internships for a bigger perspective on what a workday looks like. While school is extremely important, there's so much hands-on learning to be done outside of the classroom walls.