ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Institute of Technology is promoting girl power in their engineering program.

“Don't be discouraged that you're going into a field where there are not that many females. You have a support system and that’s just an amazing feeling,” said RIT senior MacKenzie Woodhouse.

RIT has the only engineering college in the country named in honor of a woman.

The Kate Gleason College of Engineering hosted incoming female freshman engineering students Monday.

They were given a hands-on introduction to the many areas of engineering including biomedical, electrical and mechanical.

With female representation in engineering ranging as low as 10 percent, RIT established the Women in Engineering Program.

 

 

 It was created to increase the amount of women in the field and to build confidence during the process.

“For some of them, it may be the first time they are in the machine shop or the first time they are actually soldering an actual circuit but they’re there, they’re doing it, and they’re learning that they can in fact do this," said RIT's Women in Engineering Director,  Kathy Ehrlich-Scheffer.

 “I could be a good example for those young girls that want to do something but are too scared to do it and I hope that I give them confidence in that,” said RIT freshman Alissa Mann.

RIT will offer another hands-on introduction to engineering for girls in grades 5-9 on November 3rd.