Mentor Spotlight: Walter’s Journey from Global Engineering Leader to STEM Champion for Girls

When Walter walks into a Science Club, he doesn’t see a group of first, second, or third graders. He sees scientists. Every week, the girls walk through the door and hear their Mentors greet them: How are our favorite scientists today? Their faces light up, because in this room their ideas matter, their questions matter, and their curiosity belongs.

For Walter, a longtime engineer and business leader who spent 38 years at  Boston-area technology company Teradyne before retiring in 2024, volunteering with SCFG is a natural extension of the values that shaped his own STEM journey. From the time he was small, Walter was taking things apart, building new creations, and following his curiosity wherever it led. That curiosity eventually took him to Pittsburgh to study electrical and computer engineering, and then Boston and eventually around the world as he led global business units. 

But the spark that shaped him didn’t come from textbooks alone. It came from people. His father fixing things around the house, family members who were engineers, and mentors who modeled what it looked like to stay curious, persistent, and imaginative.

Now, in retirement, he’s giving that spark back to the next generation – especially girls who may not yet see themselves in STEM.

Why Mentoring Matters, Now

Walter is one of the few male mentors in our program, and he sees his role clearly: to be an ally.

“My job is to help the girls feel supported and confident,” he shared. “They already have incredible women Mentors in the room who are living examples of what’s possible. I’m there to reinforce that they have allies from many different backgrounds who believe in their potential.”

That sense of support is especially powerful in a world where girls begin forming their beliefs at a very young age – and where negative cultural messages can take hold quickly.

“Kids need to explore, try, fail, and then try again,” Walter said. “When something doesn’t work, we talk about perseverance. That’s not just a STEM lesson – it’s a life lesson.”

Moments That Stay With You

Walter’s face lights up when he describes the girls’ experiments – some successful, some not, but all valuable.

One of his first activities with SCFG was an aeronautical engineering lesson using paper airplanes. The girls bent the wings, adjusted the angles, tested weight, and tried again. Some made their planes dive. Others figured out how to make them curve to the left or the right. One even attempted to fly an eraser on the top of her plane.

None of these extra adjustments were in the instructions – and that, Walter says, is exactly the point.

“They were exploring. They were testing ideas. Their eyes lit up every time something worked or didn’t. That’s the moment when learning really happens.”

Another week, the room broke out into an unexpected chant: “We love math! WE LOVE MATH!” A small group of girls, working together on a project, began chanting it over and over until the whole classroom joined. “It was completely organic,” he said. “A room full of second and third graders chanting about math. It was really special.”

The Long Arc of STEM Equity

Walter has seen the STEM landscape evolve. When he entered engineering school,  few women were in his classes. When his daughter applied to engineering programs years later, it had improved, but today only 16% of engineers in the US are women. In 20 more years, he hopes to see that progress go even further.

He believes programs like SCFG accelerate that future, because they meet girls at the age when confidence, curiosity, and identity take shape.

“There’s no single moment that changes everything,” he said. “It’s the accumulation of experiences. The multi-year exposure these girls get starting in kindergarten and sustained week after week, gives them the space to truly discover what excites them.”

Walter’s Hope for the Next Generation

Walter’s hope is simple, yet profound: that every girl has the opportunity to pursue whatever future she dreams of, without limits.

“Brainpower and drive are not determined by gender or background,” he said. “Our job as a society is to make sure every child has access to opportunities that let them explore, learn, and grow. When girls feel supported, they can accomplish anything – and we’re all better for it.”

Every week, girls across Greater Boston enter a Science Club and meet mentors like Walter – people who look them in the eye and say, “Of course you can do this.”

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