In honour of National Volunteer Week, we asked Amy Charette, Mechanical Engineering alumnus, a few questions about her journey and her volunteer experiences within the University of Waterloo. She shares her story to highlight the importance of volunteerism inside and outside school.
Introduction
My name is Amy Charette (nee Alfred when I was an Engineering student at UWaterloo).
I
graduated
Mechanical
Engineering
and
focused
on
manufacturing,
distribution,
warehousing,
performance
analytics
and
business
process
improvement.
I
added
Project
Management,
Operations,
and
end
to
end
Supply
Chain
along
the
way.
I
am
currently
a
Management
Consultant
with
The
Poirier
Group.
My
hobbies
include
a
lot
of
creative
crafting,
such
as
paper
crafts
and
miniature
models.
I
also
love
outdoor
activities
such
as
kayaking,
hiking,
snowshoeing,
and
gardening.
I
am
an
avid
reader
of
fiction
and
non-fiction.
I
also
enjoy
travelling.
How and where do you volunteer your time and how have you been involved with Waterloo Engineering?
At UWaterloo, my current volunteer role is with the Women in Engineering committee as the alumni rep. Every 5 years, I am my class rep for the reunions. When I was at Waterloo, I volunteered for the Engineering Society in a variety of roles including C&D Manager, Orientation, and VP-Finance in addition to being a student rep on the Women in Engineering Committee.
Another volunteer role I currently hold is the President of the Toronto Chapter for ASCM. My volunteer experience includes daycare boards, school council leadership, hosting events, tax help, mentoring, and career transition support. For over 15 years, starting in high school, I was a recreation volunteer at Bloorview Rehabilitation including co-op terms and while starting my career.
What inspired you to want to volunteer with Women in Engineering (WiE) and how has your experience been?
WiE launched when I was at UWaterloo and in the Fall they were looking for a new Alumni Rep. I was inspired to join the committee and give back again. I like being able to share my experiences and add context of progress over time. I really enjoy hearing the variety of insights and offering my perspective. It is definitely rewarding to know we can help UW Engineering be welcoming for all women.
Can you share a highlight of your experience?
In my 4th year, I was one of the three female Engineering Orientation organizers. For years, afterwards I would meet female engineers who mention that seeing three female engineering students leading meant they knew they would belong at UWaterloo after Orientation. I had volunteered for Orientation to make it a great event, and it was nice to hear the unintended benefits that followed, as students felt they belonged.
Any advice for students who are unsure about getting involved or volunteering their time?
Time
is
a
precious
commodity.
It
is
also
a
commodity
you
can
share
with
others.
Every
year,
I
volunteer
in
at
least
two
roles
as
part
of
ensuring
I
maintain
balance
plus
give
back
to
society.
I
always
find
that
I
gain
so
much
more
than
I
give
while
volunteering.
I
have
met
fabulous
people,
learned
from
others
on
committees
and
boards,
been
able
to
host
and
facilitate
events,
encouraged
people
to
try
new
things,
and
gained
experiences
you
cannot
get
from
just
work
and
home
life.
Varying
where
and
how
you
contribute
also
gives
you
extra
energy
by
getting
you
out
of
your
comfort
zone.
When
I
was
a
student,
I
volunteered
with
Kitchener
Recreation,
enabling
physically
challenged
children
to
play
Sledge
Hockey.
Just
a
couple
hours
of
non-engineering,
non-study
time
was
a
perfect
boost
to
recharge.
It
was
heart-warming
knowing
that
my
involvement
meant
a
child
got
to
play
hockey.