Spotlight

Kayla Guillory

’18, Product Design, Mechanical Engineering
When I first arrived at Stanford, I thought I was going to major in mechanical engineering, but through conversations with members of the Society of Black Scientists and Engineers (SBSE), I discovered product design.

I fell in love with it because it combines technical and creative work. It always felt like if I wanted to be an engineer I had to give up my creative side and focus only on the technical, but product design embraces both. The interdisciplinary nature of this major has allowed me to take both engineering and art classes. Every aspect of the major expands my mind and shifts my perspective.

As an African-American female who wants to pursue a degree in engineering, I’ve often been one of few in my classes. I’ve always told myself, “I have a voice and there’s space for me. And if there isn’t a space, I’m going to make one.” In (SBSE) we have conversations about these kinds of issues and they’ve been empowering for me. SBSE is one of the spaces I find helps me strengthen my voice.

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