HI!
I am Maliha
Williamson
As a little girl, although I had a lot of uncertainty, I dreamt big. And, one thing that was always constant was, my mom was always there. She went through her share of trauma and understood the importance of not passing it on.
Growing up, she aspired to be a doctor and throughout her school days, including college, she was the top of her class, but her parents had other plans for her. In those days, a woman too educated was undesired and hard to wed. So, despite her protest, instead of sending her to medical school, her parents arranged her marriage, and before she knew it, she had three children to care for and a bipolar disorder diagnosis (depression).
But, she did not let that become a crutch and dedicated her life to making sure her own children never faced the limitations imposed by one’s family or society, especially when it came to our aspirations and dreams.
Thanks to her, all her children went on to become successful. My older sister is a physician, I pursued chemical engineering, going on to become the first female engineer in my family and my younger brother pursued mechanical engineering, with a specialty in robotics.
In 2003, my mom received some dire news. She had been diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer and given 6 months to live. As a senior in college, pursuing challenging engineering courses, that news hit me like a brick and turned into the most difficult time of my life.
Even today, when I face challenging times, I take myself back to that time, and nothing compares to that most difficult time of my life.
MOM
Throughout school, I really enjoyed math. It was one subject that I not only enjoyed but I always felt ahead of the class.
It was my high school Calculus teacher, Ms. Bale, who asked me one day “why don’t you go into Engineering, you are so good in Math”.
Here I was, a senior in high school, and didnt really know what I wanted to be. I was probably going to pursue a Math degree and go into teaching.
Ms. Bale continued to convince me, “my daughter goes to UC Berkeley and she’s pursuing chemical engineering and she really loves it. I think you should really consider engineering”.
That day, thanks to Ms. Bale, a seed was planted. The very next year, I applied to San Jose State in their chemical engineering dept and ended up getting accepted. I not only completed my bachelor's degree but also went back and complete my Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering at San Jose State University, while working full time.
MS. BALE
In my senior year at San Jose State University when my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer, I was in a state of shock and heartbreak. So much of who I was, was thanks to the encouragement from my best friend, my mom, and here I was about to lose her.
I wanted to make sure I was there for her as much as she had been there for me my entire life.
I decided to take a break from college. I sent an email to my advisor and instructor Dr. McNeil, letting her know my plans. She sent back a short reply “Maliha, please come see me in my office”. I remember walking into her office, in tears and heart broken, over my mom. She listened intently to my situation and after I was finished, she said “I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you but think about what your mom would want you to do. You’ve worked so hard to be where you are, don’t you want your mom to watch you across that stage?” She continued, “and, with all the advances in medical science, your mom could live much longer”. She encouraged me to stay and finish up my degree.
That was probably the best advice anyone had given me. It wasn’t easy, but it worked out. I would go to my classes and then go straight to the hospital and I would take my school work with me. And, before you know it, it was graduation time, and my mom was able to watch me walk across that stage.
Dr. mcneil
Out of college, I started my first job working in a lab.
After a few years of working in the lab, I transitioned to technical sales, selling gas separation membranes, at Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR). The company was filled with chemical engineers in the research and commercial departments, I felt right at home. I started in the research dept and was approached by one of the commercial managers, Dr. Kaaeid Lokhandwala, if I would be interested in moving to sales. I was hesitant so he offered me to come try it for six months and then go back to research, if I didnt like it.
I ended up never going back and Dr. Lokhandwala became the best mentor anyone could ask for early in my career. I still think about him when making important decisions in my professional life. I went through so much professional growth under his mentorship and realized how important mentors are (I would later start my own non-profit to mentor others and pay it forward). I had the opportunity to travel the world attending seminars and teaching the gas membrane technology and its applications.
During my time at MTR, I traveled abroad to Canada, South America, Europe and Asia. After about 7 years in my role, I felt like I had hit a professional ceiling.
That is when I transitioned to Heatcraft Refrigeration, one of the largest supplier of commercial refrigeration equipment, which supports the food industry. From farm to table or restaurant, Heatcraft equipment is used to keep produce fresh from warehouses (after its picked), to food trucks, to grocery stores and restaurants. I landed in the HVACR industry, which is recession proof since there is always a need for food. And, at the same time I have found an organization whose values align with mine.
Having good support from the team and feeling in sync, I have been able to b top performer in this organization, year after year. And, having been one of the first woman hired for this role at my company, I hope to open the door for more women behind me.
