When I entered Mechanical Engineering, I was the sole female student in a classroom of 69 boys.
In the first year, every move I made felt scrutinized. If I scored high in Thermodynamics, people whispered it was favoritism. If I made a mistake on the lathe machine in workshop, people claimed 'girls can't handle machinery'.
It took 2 years of proving myself, staying back after hours, and getting my hands covered in grease to earn mutual respect. Now I am graduating as department gold medalist and heading to an electric mobility R&D center. To every girl entering core engineering: take up space unapologetically.