According to Kim Foley, vice president of health, safety, environment and quality for LyondellBasell, it's never too early to encourage women to seek a career in the petrochemical industry.
Clockwise from top left, James Griffin of San Jacinto College’s, LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology; Kim Foley of LyondellBasell; Kate Lightfoot of ExxonMobil; and Cathy Culpepper of INEOS Styrolution.
"You have to talk to women when they're young, when they're little girls. They like math and science, they want to be outgoing and they like complex problems," Foley said.
Speaking as a member of a petrochemical industry leaders panel at the Gulf Coast Industry Forum, Foley encouraged other women in the industry to become role models as soon as possible for girls still in school.
"We talk about being members of communities we live and work in," she said. "Be out there now, proactively talking to students in elementary, middle and high schools about the opportunities in STEM programs that are there for young people."
It's equally important for women in the industry to mentor young women as they navigate those first challenges of simultaneously being a parent and, for example, a chemical engineer.
"How do we have a 24/7 job when we can barely sleep because the baby is waking us up in the middle of the night?" Foley pondered.
"It is very doable," she added, emphasizing the need for women to develop a support system to rely upon. "Establish relationships with people. Engage others and collaborate. As you do that and you learn what makes people tick, you can help one another," she said.
Demolish stereotypes, build confidence
Cathy Culpepper, site director for INEOS Styrolution, agreed with Foley.
"It's really about challenging all these preconceived notions about what people can and cannot do regardless of whether you're female, male or a minority," she said. "It doesn't really matter, right? It's really about recognizing that we're all individuals. If we challenge ourselves to surround ourselves with people who challenge us and think differently, it creates a lot more space for differences of opinion and innovation."
Culpepper shared an eye-opening experience she had while tutoring intermediate school students several years ago.
"I was tutoring a young lady who was struggling to work out a math problem," Culpepper stated. "She said, 'Well, everybody knows girls can't do math.' And I said, 'No, that's not true.' So we had a long conversation."
Culpepper said she has observed that women buy into these stereotypes and consequently struggle with confidence.
"Anywhere you can, step in and help," she said. "We all had someone who pushed us and said, 'Take that risk. Take that step.' Women inherently tend to need that a little bit more. If we can touch people early in their careers and give them that basic confidence, that really helps."
Kate Lightfoot, plant manager for ExxonMobil, concurred with the importance of women instilling confidence in themselves and in others.
"Any of us who say we don't have some of that negative self-thought would be lying," she said. "I have learned over time that I can quickly correct that by saying to myself, 'You're doing a good job. You've got a solid relationship with your husband, your children respect you, you're raising good adults, your plant is running well, and you've made good connections with people.' Learn how to have that encouragement from within."
The sooner women start to learn that, the sooner their confidence will develop, Lightfoot added.
"We grew up in a world that has been more male-dominated, and I think it still is in some cases," Lightfoot concluded. "But when I look around, I see I don't have to do each role the way the male who came before me did it. I can do it another way. I can do it my way."
James Griffin, associate vice chancellor and senior vice president for the petrochemical training division at San Jacinto College's LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology, moderated the session.
