Hello, everyone. My name is Shweta Sawant, and currently I work as TCU component release engineer at Stellantis North America.Today, I'm going to speak on a topic, three generations of women, which is very close to me, but I'm sure it will have the capacity of inspiring each one of you in some way or the other. So you how you would have heard about the saying, educate, a woman and you educate her family. Educate a girl and you change the future. As I'm associated with women in tech, I'm also associated with society of women engineers. And as a part of their mentorship program, I'm glad to meet very ambitious young women who are seeking out guidance related to advancement and professional careers. During one such mentorship episode, I was asked by my mentee as to who has been my role model and who has played a major role in my achievements.

After a long brief of time, I said to her, it's not just one person that I can dedicate my achievements to, but it's a series of efforts of strong women from multiple generations who inspired me to reach at the stage I am in currently. Hence, I would like to share briefly the story of those powerful women who have, are, and are continuously being a strong backbone in my entire career and life's journey. So in this slide, you would see a perfect cover of what Shweta does in professional and personal life, but it provides very less information on what the actual ladder she has climbed on. Hence, let me take you directly to the main objective that we would cover in our today's meter. So each objective over here correlates to the life lesson that is interpreted from each of the generation's character, odyssey, resilience, upholding, ripple effect, and surmount. So let's dive in into each one of those.

Let me introduce you to the first character of my inspiration, that is my grandmother, missus Jaishri Jagannath Naik, who was born in 1947 in the state of Maharashtra, India and is the eldest of five children. She studied till seventh grade. Let me tell you, this was a very big fit as she was the first woman in her family to go to school. It was very uncommon for women in India at that time to go to school. And during that time, it was rather in most of the Indian regions, it was expected that girls should be helping with the household chores. Later, my grandmother was married at the tender age of 18 and had five children. Carrying the responsibility of family early on with the youngest child being intellectually disabled, she had limited scope for seeking job.

Even in this adverse situation, she made sure that this does not limit the progress of next generation. Looking at her mother carrying the responsibility of family since an early age, my mother, who as shown in this picture, missus Swapnil Sawan, took it to her heart that giving her best and attaining good amount of education will certainly open a new pathway of independence in her life.

Taking a strong foothold, she made sure that she completed her education till twelfth grade. But being the eldest daughter in her family, her options of studying further were limited, and she had to start supporting her family financially early on. One thing she was determined to accomplish was to never sacrifice her professional career and financial independence, even though she didn't earn a bachelor's or master's degree. With her undying spirit and with grit and determination, my mother served in Brujan, Mumbai Municipal Corporation, which is one of government of India's major sector as a clerk for twenty eight years. This is a picture of her retirement. Now comes the third generation, which starts with me. I'm the eldest daughter in my family. The very first milestone that my mom already achieved for me was to admit me in a school where English was the first language.

I was the very first child in our entire generation to attend such school. This decision of my mother was not welcomed by everyone in our family at first, but my mom was very intuitive, and she knew this decision was going to have a huge impact on my life, future, and career. And she was so very right about this. She made sure that I am giving my 100% in my studies and getting engaged in other co curricular activities as well, which ultimately boosted my confidence and helped me cow my decision of pursuing engineering career, becoming the first in my family. I didn't stop there, but managed to advance my career by completing masters in electrical engineering from State University of New York with honors and have been associated with one of the biggest automotive companies in the world, that is Stellantis, currently serving as telematics control unit line release engineer.

It is said that we have the power to have immense effect on the surrounding we live in. This, I observed in true sense when my sister, Smita Sawant, who is four years younger than me, used to mimic each action of mine. It was funny enough. Taking a book in hand and scribbling something just because her elder sister is studying, it was a funny scene to watch. I realized the path I take would have a profound impact on hers as well, and I was determined to lead by example. This month itself, she received her master's in professional accounting degree from Syracuse University. This picture is from her graduation day. One person, one push, and ultimate determination can really do wonders.

My grandmother would have never thought that the values and grit that she passed on to her next generation would have benefited not just one generation, but it multiplied and gave inspiring results in the upcoming generations as well. From observing life, we found powerful lessons and some achievements were not just earned, but deeply felt. From this journey, from our three generations of women, I would like to say to all my women friends over here that tough times don't last. Your journey shapes you. Grow through vision, not just survival. Honor the strength that came before you. Your light will be seen. Keep shining. Rise, inspire, and lead with your best self. And as women, when we inspire and uplift one another, there are no limits to what we can achieve. All it takes is belief in ourselves and the will to give our best to those who need us.

Thank you for listening to me, and I would really appreciate, everyone getting connected to me on LinkedIn. And I'm grateful to Women in Tech for providing me this opportunity of presenting my life's journey over here on this platform. Thank you.