Kathy Timko's acceptance speech at the 2003 Annual JCT Awards Dinner

Dear Friends:

It was a thrill to represent women working in technology, IDT Corporation and the JCT. And it was a delight to see so many friends, family, colleagues, and distinguished guests come together in support of education – specifically education for women.

When I look back on my own education experience, admittedly many years ago, it was easy for me to go to engineering school.  This path was well traveled in my family.  My grandfather was an engineering graduate of Brown University back when you didn’t even specialize in mechanical or electrical or some other engineering discipline.  He stayed at Brown as an engineering instructor, later moving on to a successful 40-plus year career at Naragansset Electric.  My father, now retired, was a mechanical engineer, working at such stalwart companies as Honeywell and Raytheon.  When I was growing up, there were always lots of engineering projects at various stages of production taking up space in our basement, much to my mother’s chagrin. 

My brother went to engineering school as well.  My sister, ever the rebel, strayed from traditional engineering and pursued computer science.  (She has since been forgiven…).

In my family, there was both precedence and support for pursuing an education in a technology field.

And so I enrolled at Virginia Tech as a mechanical engineering student.  When I arrived, women represented about 10% of the engineering student population.  I looked up the history and in fact, women were first admitted to Virginia Tech some 60 years before I got there.  At the time of their admission, then president Julian Burress said, “Nothing will be left undone to provide satisfactory conditions for all earnest women who come seeking the instruction provided at this institution”

And so it is also true at the JCT.  However JCT has moved a little faster than Virginia Tech.  As we have heard this evening, starting from scratch, in four short years, the Women's College of Engineering has grown to 600 students, representing more than 30% of the student population.  If they had more space and resources, there would be even more women attending.

The educational opportunities that the JCT provides for both technical and religious studies lay the groundwork for productive and rewarding careers for these women.  Pursing these educational opportunities and succeeding in their careers fosters role models for sisters, colleagues, acquaintances and, perhaps most importantly, their children.

Education is one of the most important gifts we can give to others.  You should all feel very good about the gifts you’ve given here this evening.  In the spirit of Julian Burress, we are all helping to ensure that nothing is left undone for the earnest women of the JCT.

Thank you so much for coming tonight and thank you to the JCT for this honor.