Hello everyone!
My name is Sara DaSilva, and I am the National Vice President of Alumnae Affairs for Phi Sigma Rho. I am 29 years old and live in a town called Pottstown, not too far from Philadelphia. I got married in 2007 to my husband Marco, and we have two dachshunds named Coco and Bear. I work as a Six Sigma Black Belt for Praxair, Inc., an industrial gases manufacturer. I am a chemical engineer who
went to Pittsburgh-Zeta, and I also have my MBA.
I grew up in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota and went to Catholic grade school and public high school. It was a huge switch going from a class of 19 to 650! My parents were transplants to Minnesota (my Mom is from Wausau, WI and my dad is from Cleveland) but have lived there ever since they got married. I have a younger brother named Dave, but unfortunately ladies, he is no longer single.
I had some great science teachers in high school who really made science challenging and fun. I am definitely a logical, analytical person, so I think engineering made sense for me at the time. But I also always enjoyed English and Music classes. I decided to go to Pitt in the fall of 1998 after looking at
several schools—we went there on a really beautiful day for the campus tour and I think that is what locked it in for me! Little did I know how gray it usually is in Pittsburgh.
All kidding aside, I loved Pittsburgh and my experience there. I really struggled at times with school, and I was never going to win any merit scholarships! But again I had teachers who cared whether I learned what they were teaching me, and they helped me make it. During school I co-oped at two different places: OSRAM Sylvania in Towanda, PA, and Honeywell Performance Fibers in Hopewell, VA. Neither of them were hiring when I graduated in April 2003, though. I wasn’t sure where I would want to live, so I would take anything that seemed right. I interviewed with lots of places but ultimately it came down to two companies that were supposed to make me job offers within the same week: GM and Praxair.
I found out about a program for Leadership Training at Praxair through another Pitt grad. For my interview with Praxair I was a mess! It was in Houston in May and it was about 95 degrees. There I was in my nice suit, eager to get the job--and my flight got cancelled! I showed up late to the interview and consequently had to be interviewed by a couple of the teams put together—there were 8 people interviewing me at once! But I got the job and definitely credit my ability to adapt to difficult situations in helping me make it through that situation and many others since then.
I started my leadership program in July 2003 in Suffield, CT. I got to travel all over the country and learn about the various parts of Praxair’s business. After about a year and a half I was transferred to my first permanent position as Facility Superintendent of a production plant in Hatfield, PA. At this time Marco came to live with me. We started dating in 2001 (and we met at a sorority party!). It was very nerve-wracking at first (I was worried he would get sick of my clutter and I wouldn’t be able to stand his neatness) but it did lead us to marriage! And the neatness and clutter is definitely an issue—but it’s worth it being married!
I have encountered a lot of tough situations in my job as I worked in a place with no other women and I was always the youngest person by at least 10 years—usually by about 30! I transitioned into my current role as a Black Belt in April 2009 and I have been very happy with it. It was a big shift from being a manager of about 20 people (now I work at home) but both work environments have their
advantages.
Because I have struggled both through school and in my jobs, I have always appreciated the bond of sisterhood. I have found it so hard to make friends once I moved new places, but Phi Sigma Rho has this terrific network of women who at least share one thing in common: something drove us to at
least attempt an engineering or science-related field! I have been able to meet some terrific women in the Philadelphia area that get together about once a month. We’re all from different chapters but it’s funny how much we have in common! And it’s wonderful to have some friends to lean on in those tough times.
I’ve often said that PSR means even more to me as an adult than it did while I was in school. I was an Alpha class member at Pitt, and I am so proud of my Charcoal Gray family (it’s very prolific!). I am also proud of what my chapter has become. I remember a semester when we only had 8 girls active, and now Pitt is one of the biggest chapters. When I was in school I held lots of different positions, but I loved being Vice President. When I graduated I decided to stay involved and I became the RFD for UConn-Theta. Then in my second year, Rutgers-Xi was added to my territory. I also became involved with the beginning stages of the Foundation at that time and ultimately decided to run for a National Council Position.
I ran for National VP of Alumnae Affairs in 2005, and was lucky to be elected. It was a learning curve at first, but there is always a mix of experienced and new people on Council, so I was able to catch up quickly. I enjoyed my two-year term and decided to run for President for the 11th National Council. I was elected again and spent an eye-opening two years as President. I learned to delegate and trust
people, and to use my management skills to maintain an effective and productive board. I decided one more term would be fun, so I ran for VPAA again, and that’s where I am now!
I’m very passionate about the alumnae experience and want other sisters to experience the benefits I have stumbled upon by meeting other great alums and networking and just connecting. Phi Rhos have enriched my life beyond what I could have expected. I talk to Phi Rhos about deciding whether and when to have kids, how to deal with bosses who think you should be more like a man, dealing with people at work who think you are too pretty to be smart, how to manage a dual-earner partnership with your spouse, but also what books are good, where to find good coupons, and where our next girls trip will be!
I will leave you with a few tidbits from my PSR experience. My best friend in the world is a Phi Rho. Seeing her be able to manage having a child, a husband, and a job made me realize I can do it too. At my little’s wedding last August, we actually sang the Phi Rho Round and circled around her. My chapter’s alumnae welcome the new alums every semester by taking them to a piano bar and having them go on stage. I would consider myself an honorary member of at least two other chapters where I’ve gotten to know some of the alums very well. We are proud that we are an engineering sorority. Penguin Perks and snaps to all of my Phi Rho friends!!
Phi Rho Love,
Sara DaSilva
National VP of Alumnae Affairs
Sara.engel.phirho@gmail.com
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