Empowering young women in stem through community-based service

Meehan Lenzen ’11

Senior Operations Manager, GE Aviation

MAJOR: ENVIRONMENTAL GEOSCIENCES

Meehan Lenzen ’11 has given back time, talent, and heart to the South Bend community, shaping the future of women in STEM. Lenzen, who graduated with a degree in environmental geosciences, is driven to introduce girls to STEM activities at a younger age to increase the number of women pursuing their own college degree in these fields. Lenzen directs GE Girls at Notre Dame STEM Camp — an annual free summer day camp for middle school girls in the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC) — heading into its 10th year next summer. The camp, held on campus in Stinson-Remick Hall of Engineering, aims to expose students to real-life STEM concepts, challenges, and career role models through a week of hands-on activities developed and facilitated by GE women working in STEM, in collaboration with professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and Society of Women Engineers advisor, Dr. Victoria Goodrich.  

Lenzen, now a Senior Operations Manager at GE Aviation, possesses a tireless passion towards this aim; she even modified the camp to a virtual format during the pandemic and dedicated countless hours to ensure that the quality of exposure and care matched the original, in-person camp. Lenzen partners with GE, Notre Dame, and SBCSC to make certain that the students attend the camp for free, including busing the students to Notre Dame’s campus and providing meals while at camp. 

The camp, which has more than 25 workshops covering everything from aerospace engineering to chemistry to designing a prosthetic leg, exposes girls to a variety of STEM topics. Yet, Lenzen’s goals for the camp extend beyond acquiring content knowledge — she also incorporates values-based lessons and leadership opportunities through junior counselor roles for camp alumni focused on building confidence, promoting gender inclusivity, and caring for the community. Each day at camp features a different notable woman in STEM so that the young campers see themselves represented in the field.

Four area middle schools were represented at the 2022 camp, which also had the highest attendance rating since its inception. Camp leaders include many Notre Dame alumnae who travel from across the country to return to their alma mater and volunteer their time. Lenzen continues to mentor women in manufacturing roles at GE and remains active in supporting STEM activities in her own community of Wilmington, North Carolina.