What happens when the STEM career you’ve worked so hard to build collides with a family crisis?
When her mother was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, Francesca Holmes-Walker, supplier quality engineering leader for Unison, a GE Aerospace division, suddenly found herself balancing caregiving, family responsibilities, and an engineering career.
In this conversation with host Sam East, Francesca offers a candid look at the unexpected costs and complexities of elder care — from finding caregivers, to navigating a challenging diagnosis, to making a career change to find the flexibility she needed.
Hear practical advice on finding local resources, preparing legal plans, preventing burnout, and recognizing when you need to slow down and cherish time with your loved ones.
Plus, she explores a lesson she now gives to the engineers she mentors: you may not be able to get an A everywhere at once, and that’s okay.
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The award-winning Diverse podcast from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is now Global Voices in Engineering!
With nearly 45,000 members in 90+ countries around the world (and growing), we wanted a new name that perfectly captures what both SWE and the podcast are all about: bringing together engineering stories from around the world, because every engineer has a story.
SWE is the world’s largest advocate and catalyst for change for women and allies in engineering and technology. To join and access all the exclusive benefits to elevate your professional journey, visit https://membership.swe.org
