Jenna Steichen ’21 & Grace Kilroy ’21: Thinking creatively on the fly

Jenna Steichen ’21 and Grace Kilroy ’21 love an ethical challenge–so much so that they took one on each of the past two years. In 2018, Steichen and Kilroy competed in and won BC’s Klein Ethics Case Competition. That win qualified the pair for the University of Arizona’s 2019 Eller Ethics Case Competition and a bigger challenge than they ever imagined: rebuilding Boeing after the crash of two 737 Max jets.

Their story–how they performed their analysis and prepared their presentation amid daily news updates on the disasters–is a textbook example of diligence, collaboration, grace under pressure, and the support of the BC community.

Keeping calm amid the storm

The Boeing 737 Max holds one of the worst records in aviation history. The jet’s first years in service saw more fatalities than any other, including the October 2018 post-takeoff crash of Lion Air Flight 610 from Jakarta, Indonesia, in which 189 people died, and the March 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which killed all 157 people on board.

Steichen and Kilroy’s task was to determine why these crashes occurred and where to go from there. They started by focusing on the mechanical issues that led to the crashes. Once they understood that aspect, “we were able to dig deeper into the root causes of how these issues went unaddressed, such as breakdowns in company culture,” Steichen said.

But it wasn’t exactly a smooth, linear process. In the days leading up to the competition, updates emerged constantly, including new evidence, organizational changes, and legal issues. 

“We did our best to adapt our recommendations to contain up-to-date information,” said Steichen.

They also turned to the BC community, drawing on the feedback the Klein judges had provided and accepting a generous offer of time from professors to critique their presentation before they submitted their slides.

Three-pronged solution

In a competition consisting of two rounds and a panel of six judges, Steichen and Kilroy presented a three-pronged solution with short- and long-term recommendations to tackle technical issues, address cultural issues and internal processes, and ramp up community outreach.

“We identified that many of the issues they were facing came from internal breakdowns,” Steichen said. “So we suggested long-term solutions focused on increasing cross-collaboration and reinstating Boeing’s values. 

“In the short term, our solutions were more tailored to getting the aircraft off the ground, transparency with the airlines, and a more active and empathetic community outreach campaign aimed at restoring trust,” she added.

Strong support

Steichen serves as a co-chair for Start@Shea and cites the organization as a major influence on her success in the Eller Ethics Competition.

“During my time with Shea, I’ve become comfortable presenting in front of large groups and applying the entrepreneurial mindset to problem solving,” she said. 

Steichen and Kilroy also attribute their success to the Women Innovators Network (WIN), a campus organization focused on fostering the growth of women working in STEM. To that end, WIN provides a supportive network of men and women at Boston College and beyond. 

“I’m constantly in awe of the intense support and encouragement that surrounds me at BC, from my peers to the staff to alumni,” Steichen said.

With their last year at BC coming up fast, they are both characteristically upbeat about what the future holds.