I knew I wanted to be in aerospace when I was seven years old and watched Toy Story with my dad - I fell in love with the character Buzz Lightyear. My dad, an electrical engineer, further instilled a passion for aerospace and STEM by taking me to science and space museums, showing me how to work on cars and letting me visit his work at an electrical powerplant. I decided to follow in his footsteps and pursue a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University, his alma mater. However, my dream to become an engineer in the aerospace industry nearly came to a halt early on.
During my first semester in college, I felt out of place - I was one of only four females in my engineering program. I also observed that none of my professors or teaching assistants were women, making me feel like I did not belong in the field. Engineering classes were challenging from a technical perspective and feeling like I did not fit in made it even more difficult to be successful. The December of my first semester, I received my final grades: a 1.5 GPA and academic probation. I was so embarrassed to tell my family I had failed that I hid my grades for over a week. Facing failure and risk of being the first in three generations of Frohnerts to fail electrical engineering, I was on the verge of becoming a statistic that many women studying engineering face: over 32% of women switch out of STEM programs in college.
Despite my initial struggle in college, I was determined to pursue an aerospace career and started setting small goals for myself the following semester. In addition, I joined the Penn State Society of Women Engineers (SWE) chapter to meet other women like me that were pursuing the same career path or who were in other engineering majors - this helped build my confidence as a woman in STEM and made it easier for me to focus on my class goals. I dramatically improved my grades through the help of SWE and changed my study habits, yet still faced challenges during my early-career journey as a woman in STEM. I was the only woman on my engineering teams during each of my three internships.
Seeing so few women working in engineering and in leadership positions,
I became discouraged and worried that I would become another statistic: only 30% of women who earn bachelors degrees in engineering work in the field 20 years later. Nearly one third of those women who leave the engineering field cite corporate climate as the reason for leaving.
The odds may have been against me, but I graduated Penn State Electrical Engineering with honors. Shortly after graduation I joined the aerospace industry as an electrical engineer, proud to have made it into the aerospace field - my long-awaited dream! I pursued a masters degree in Systems Engineering at Cornell University while working as an engineer in industry and continued developing my engineering career. Now that I have built a successful career, thanks to phenomenal mentors and champions along the way, I have started giving back to those who may be facing similar challenges.
Since joining the industry, I have started a personal Instagram page with 15k+ followers (@ReneeFrohnert) and use additional media platforms to support women and other underrepresented groups in STEM. The focus is to connect people to mentors and opportunities and help eliminate barriers when individuals may be facing imposter syndrome. I have been so fortunate to touch the lives of many students and professionals looking for additional guidance in navigating their own careers.
Seeing such a surge of interest in the topic from the STEM community led me to speak out publicly about diversity and inclusion in engineering. I believe I can help raise awareness of the challenges women face and create action plans to overcome these obstacles so everyone can feel comfortable bringing their full selves into the field. My speaking engagements have included NASA Kennedy Robotics Cup, Cornell Commencement, Purdue Society of Women Engineers Industry Day, Space Tech Expo, Boys and Girls Club STEM Day, and Stanford University Society of Women Engineers. I hope to expand and continue to inspire underrepresented communities to pursue STEM and aerospace.
I am fortunate to have recently been featured on Netflixs new engineering competition show Baking Impossible, being selected as a Project PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Candidate and Cornell University College of Engineering Visiting Lecturer. While these are great achievements, I have more work ahead to further promote women in STEM and progress toward real change.
From the seven-year-old girl whose passion for aerospace began with a Disney movie, to a professional working in the field, Ive been on an incredible journey full of failures and successes. My failures in engineering do not define me - I believe failure is sometimes necessary for success because it helps us grow. I now feel empowered and driven to make positive movements within STEM and aerospace to help increase representation within the field.
North America Stories
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
15/05/2026
Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...
15/05/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...
15/05/2026
InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...
15/05/2026
Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...
15/05/2026
Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...
15/05/2026
Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...
15/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
15/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
15/05/2026
For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...
15/05/2026
The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...
15/05/2026
When MMA icons Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano meet inside the Hexagon at Intuit Do...
15/05/2026
Daniel Roher attends the Tuner Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles Theatre on January 22, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Neilson Bar...
15/05/2026
86% of media planners would move more linear TV budget to CTV if they had show-level targeting and reporting - and 65% would also shift dollars from programmati...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Clear-Com will showcase new communications solutions and major platform updates at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7005), June 17-19, in the North and Central Halls of t...
15/05/2026
Following an outstanding inaugural year in 2025, Rise AV is proud to announce the return of its flagship leadership initiative, Elevate. The programme continues...
15/05/2026
Berklee Announces Lineup for Inaugural AI Music Summit The three-day event puts musicians at the center of the future of music creation, ethics, and the indus...
15/05/2026
Lightware returns to InfoComm 2026 with a focused showcase of scalable USB-C connectivity, next-generation AV-over-IP solutions, and technologies that help over...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Delivering a live, arena-scale production of a massively popular band is no small feat. Between expansive in-arena LED walls and a global live stream fed to onl...
15/05/2026
Connection is the heartbeat of any strong community, and with live streaming becoming more accessible in the modern era, it's much easier for faith-based or...
15/05/2026
Powered by GX 3 media servers, optimised IP-VFC workflows and on-site engineering expertise, the production delivers high-performance visuals for one of the wor...
15/05/2026
Back to All News
A Mother, Two Daughters and One Big Scandal: Netflixs Crime-Co...
14/05/2026
Sweetwater and Airstream have announced a custom-built Dolby Atmos mobile recording studio inside an Airstream trailer, set to tour music festivals, schools, tr...
14/05/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has announced a new par...
14/05/2026
ESPN has announced plans to transform Santa Monica Beach into a broadcast hub du...
14/05/2026
Amagi has announced a significant update to Amagi CLOUDPORT, its cloud-based broadcast playout platform. The update includes 250-plus features shipped in FY25-2...
14/05/2026
Clear-Com will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7005, June 17-19, Las Vegas Convention Center), introducing a new product that builds on Arcadia Central Station...
14/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5D3-1, Singapore Expo, May 20-22), introducing two new viewfinders alongside its existing camera, control, and...
14/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside ...
14/05/2026
NAGRAVISION, a Kudelski Group company, has announced a partnership with the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) to launch Play Snooker,...
14/05/2026
Belden Inc. has announced a definitive agreement to acquire RUCKUS Networks from Vistance Networks for approximately $1.85 billion. The transaction has been app...
14/05/2026
NVIDIA has released the Content Localization Blueprint, a modular reference arch...
I knew I wanted to be in aerospace when I was seven years old and watched Toy Story with my dad - I fell in love with the character Buzz Lightyear. My dad, an electrical engineer, further instilled a passion for aerospace and STEM by taking me to science and space museums, showing me how to work on cars and letting me visit his work at an electrical powerplant. I decided to follow in his footsteps and pursue a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University, his alma mater. However, my dream to become an engineer in the aerospace industry nearly came to a halt early on.
