SARIC Rising Tide

54 Deki’s expertise adds up. At Gelephu, she was entrusted with the additional responsibility of overseeing the 400kV GIS at Jigmeling Substation—one of the largest substations in Bhutan. The station interconnects the country’s eastern and western power supply, facilitating exports to India through the city of Alipurduar. “What I do is definitely not a 9 to 5 job,” says Deki. “I’mveryproudthatBhutan isnow99.7%electrified and that I have been a part of the process.” SAR100 has opened windows for Deki. “There were many qualified people, but they were looking for women in the field and that’s how I got in,” she explains. deki wangmo 55 Deki with peers at the SAR100 program the sum of our accomplishments “There aren’t very many young girls in STEM today. It is a growing number, but still not that many. I’ve been encouraged to reach out and mentor girls at school as well as young professionals, and plan to focus on math and change the way it is taught. All engineering comes from math, and we need to get those concepts right. Teach it differently and we get better results.” It’s a long step up from her school in remote Nganglam. Deki has gone from guiding her siblings, to guiding future generations as they learn from an accomplished leader in the industry. She is proof that the sum of one’s accomplishments can light the way forward for others. SAR100’s levels of knowledge and awareness are helping shape my view of global markets, and that’s been invaluable in my role today. It’s also helped shape my desire to coach the next generation.