Building Community in Engineering

When Yamuna Sree Sabbati MS ’18 attended the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) national conference in Los Angeles in 2023, she didn’t expect it to change the course of her professional life. “What started as a single opportunity became a defining turning point,” she said.

At the conference, Sabbati found something that resonated deeply: a community of women not only navigating a traditionally male-dominated field, but actively leading and redefining it. Inspired, she became involved with SWE-Central Illinois, where she now serves as secretary and chair of the communications committee—with her sights set on becoming chapter president.

“Mentorship isn’t a one-way act of giving. It’s a shared journey of growth,” Sabbati said. “While the mentee gains guidance and perspective, the mentor deepens their own understanding, empathy, and sense of purpose.”

That belief in mentorship and connection has shaped Sabbati’s path for years—starting with her decision to attend Bradley for graduate school. “From the schools that accepted me, Bradley stood out immediately,” she said. “Its engineering excellence was clear, but what sealed it was much bigger—the deep partnership between Bradley and Caterpillar, built on talent, hands-on learning, real-world impact, and mentorship. I didn’t just want a degree, I wanted direction.”

Since joining Caterpillar in 2019, Sabbati has found that sense of purpose in her work as an autonomy engineer, where she develops technology to keep workers safe. Her work focuses on systems that use artificial intelligence to detect driver fatigue and distraction, alerting operators in real time to reduce the risk of accidents. “This work makes me excited to show up every single day,” she said.

She brings that same passion beyond the workplace through her involvement in SWE-Central Illinois, where she works closely with Bradley engineering students. “It’s a living, breathing community where professionals and students meet, learn, and grow together,” she said.

That connection came to life in April, when SWE hosted its first-ever Bradley Industry Night—bringing students and professionals together for honest conversations about career paths, challenges, and opportunities.

“When a student sees a professional who looks like her—who came from where she came from—something powerful shifts,” Sabbati said. “They move from asking, ‘Do I belong here?’ to ‘How far can I go?’”

For Sabbati, that moment is deeply personal. “I was that student once,” she said. “Now I get to be the reason someone else believes that they can be here too.”

She encourages young engineers to embrace every opportunity, even the ones that seem small at first. “You walk into a panel or a career event, and you walk out with a new sense of who you are and what’s possible,” she said. “That’s the power of these communities.”

That mindset, she says, was shaped long before her career began. “From the time I was a little girl, my mother taught me one truth: a woman must be independent—financially, mentally, and emotionally,” Sabbati said. “No matter what life throws at you, if you have those three, you will always rise.”

Today, Sabbati is helping ensure other women have that same foundation—through her work, her mentorship, and her leadership in SWE.

What began as a single conference invitation has grown into something much bigger: a commitment to opening doors, building confidence, and showing the next generation of engineers just how far they can go.

Learn more about Bradley’s SWE chapter here.

—Emily Potts