Women in Industry Week

Female students with an interest in entering an industry-based field had the opportunity to visit area leaders during the SETX Women in Industry Week the week of March 21. During the event, organizers hosted an event mixer, networking luncheon, speed mentoring, and coffee chats with industry leaders at Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT), Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) and Orange (LSCO) and Lamar University (LU).

The luncheon, the goal of which was to facilitate relationship-building between students and industry professionals, brought together 100 area students and over 100 industry representatives at the LIT Multipurpose Center on March 23. Lunch was provided by the Beaumont ISD Career Center CTE (Career and Technical Education) Practicum Culinary Arts Program and musical entertainment was provided by the West Brook Jazz Band.

Beaumont ISD Superintendent Dr. Shannon Allen, CTE Director Dr. Donna Prudhomme and Business and Industry Coordinator Eva LeBlanc participated in the event, joining students in discussion questions and encouraging dialogue about industry jobs.

At the continuation of the event on March 24, speed mentoring sessions were held at area high schools across the region. Alena Savoie with ExxonMobil and Commander Karima Hantal and Lieutenant Carter Boinay with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Women’s Leadership Institute visited Beaumont United. USCG’s Commander Tammy Bolin, along with Deborah Drago, Megan Norris, Abbie Begnaud and Kennedy Smith from Entergy, attended the event at West Brook. During this time, students were assigned to teams to visit with each mentor, giving each the opportunity to ask questions about potential careers and advice for the future.

BISD business partners BASF, Entergy, ExxonMobil, LIT, LU and Port of Beaumont also contributed to the event.

“This week gave us an opportunity to celebrate current, future and past women in industry. Without those who paved what was originally a dirt road, we would still be getting stuck in potholes when it comes to being successful in traditionally male-dominated industries,” said Sadé Chick, Director of Corporate Affairs for the Port of Beaumont. “The women who were the firsts in the area ports and the firsts in refineries made it so we can focus on moving our region forward instead of having to focus just getting a foot in the door.”   

“Entergy Texas is proud to be part of the SETX Women in Industry Week. We know that an educated, skilled and diverse workforce is critical to the long-term success, health and viability of the communities we serve,” said Deborah Drago, Customer Service Manager for Entergy Texas. “The week was an opportunity to introduce young women to role models, talk to them about the skills they will need, provide encouragement and show them they will help change the world for the better and power our communities’ futures.”