A major factor that has influenced my decision to pursue an education in engineering has been my experience in research, engineering challenges, and dual enrollment at North Carolina A&T University with a focus on the engineering pathway. Beginning with my freshman year enrolled at the STEM Early College at NC A&T, I have been on a track that has focused heavily on mathematics, science, and extracurricular opportunities with the goal that each student eventually continue their education in a STEM-based field. This exposure to the STEM and the engineering field has definitely contributed to me seeing engineering as a challenging, yet rewarding career option. One such opportunity was doing research with Dr. Manuel Reyes on NC A&T’s campus during my sophomore year. During my time with Dr. Reyes and his team of graduate students, I had …show more content…
Reyes was doing research on the potential environmental and production benefits of implementing “oasis sofas,” in which dead plant matter is left covering the soil after each growing season, rather than tilling it into the soil. In working with his team, I was able to help conduct indicative soil and plant health tests and I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to some of the graduate students on his team during this time, to learn more about the field and why they were interested in it. Another opportunity that has pushed me to pursue engineering has been my involvement in the Real World Design Challenge, in which our team was responsible for creating an efficient and cost-effective unmanned aerial system, utilizing aspects from a variety of engineering disciplines. I found it amazing how our team was able to go through the engineering design process and complete multiple systems and calculations before arriving at a project that would place third at the national competition and could actually be implemented in real world situations. The process was not only rewarding, but I also could see myself doing similar work in the
Summers, L. H. (2005, January 14). Remarks at NBER Conference on Diversifying the Science & Engineering Workforce. In The Office of the President. Retrieved July 17, 2011, from http://president.harvard.edu/speeches/summers_2005/nber.php
Today’s college students have the opportunity and freedom to choose their major and their career path. Many factors influence the decision of a college student’s career paths including background, general interests, personal strengths, time commitment, and job outlook. Although many important decisions are made in college, one of the most important is the choice of major and career track. Out of hundreds of majors the science and engineering fields are under-represented by women. Although the numbers of women in science technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM, majors has been increasing in the past years, women still are in the minority in the STEM fields. In her study, Lona Whitmarsh concluded, “that career opportunities for women have widened,” but “not enough change has occurred to show significant differences between the overall population” (49). It is good that more women are entering these fields, but there are still not enough young women aspiring to fill the gaps. Further statistics show that female representation in engineering continues to be low, “in 2008 only 19 percent of bachelor’s degrees, 22.9 percent of masters, and 14.8 percent of PhDs in engineering were awarded to women” (Bystydzienski 2). Although there has been a general increase of women entering the fields of science and mathematics, overall the numbers are still low, showing that women struggle in pursuing a degree within these fields, and that many factors can lead to a female not choosing to begin or complete college in a STEM major. Women are in the minority of STEM fields.
Less and less girls are choosing career in STEM fields causing a growing gender gap as well as a decline in many STEM fields. Now one may wonder what is STEM? The acronym STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. (Lawerence-Turner Jody, 1) There are many reasons that few girls are choosing careers in STEM fields.This is due to many factors such as socialization, lack of exposure, and lack of female role models. (Danae King, 2) A growing issue
Landis, Raymond B. Studying Engineering: A Road Map to a Rewarding Career. Los Angeles, CA: Discovery, 2013. Print.
1.Tell us about yourself, your family, community and why you have decided to pursue a post-secondary education and your field of study?
At the ripe old age of 18, my firm conviction is that experience builds character. Growing up, I have been through interesting times, some good and others bad. This, I feel, has made me who I am and what I stand for. I characterize myself as someone who is hungry to effect change, not just to the world, but in the way people look at the world. My experiences have guided me to the conclusion that my prime interest lies in Engineering. One of my earliest memories is of my grandfather calling out “Let’s fix this”. Very often, the two of us would be oblivious to what was happening around us, with greasy hands, screwdrivers and a stubborn gadget that my mother had declared dead. The satisfaction of bringing it back to life could never be equalled by any other experience. This is what led me to believe that fixing things and examining what made them work was something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.
Possessing the basic knowledge in the field of physical sciences and the intuition in them made me to pick up Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as my majors for the Higher Secondary Education. After the completion of my secondary education, I felt that engineering was the only field which can transform and transfer my dreams in the field of sciences into a real one and also it would give me an opportunity to learn and explore how the fundamentals of science are appl...
The word engineer comes from the latin word ingeniare. ingeniare means construct or craftsmanship. Ever since the beginning of time we have had engineers. Engineering is the combination of math and science , solving world problems to help better the world around us. Being an engineer takes a lot of knowledge, creativity, and hard work. A typical engineer can clearly see a problem and is capable of fining a solution. A senior engineer or engineering manager usually doesnt do as much technical work, but usally lot of managing. Some of the first official engineers were military engineers. They were employed by the goverment to build such things as roads, bridges, and weapons. US mililary Academy at Westpoint was the first school to offer an education in enginnering. Engineering is a very broad field. Engineers are always at a high demand, we could never have enough brilliant minds making the world better. Engineers are needed everywhere. Engineering managers have to have a bachelor's degree or higher, they usually direct and seek solutions to problems and are sometimes called executi...
Learning is a continuous process and the day that you stop learning is the day that you start decreasing your rewards and lower levels of satisfaction. My ardent desire to acquire knowledge has motivated me to pursue higher studies at graduate level, and to take up a career in research in industry. I have taken this decision after carefully considering my academic background, profound interest in research and strong aptitude for problem solving. Banking on an excellent academic record coupled with a keen interest in the ever-growing field of science and technology motivated me to take up engineering.
While I was in high school, not only was I an active volunteer in several activities such as food drives and helping those in need, in addition to community work, but also I became invested in engineering sciences due to my perceptions regarding the importance of electrical engineering to an emerging industrial country such as mine. Therefore, as I was to graduate soon, I decided to specialize in this science as a student and future professional. Fortunately, through my undergraduate studies, not only did I found the science to be highly intriguing and vast giving way access to endless disciplines, but I have also found that it is very much correlated to numerous other sciences. This observation prompted me to further delve in my studies to become one day a well-informed engineer.
In this document, the student will describe what he plans to do as a candidate engineer, to qualify to become a professional engineer. The strategy for CPD (continuous professional development) will be discussed for when the student is registered as a professional engineer.
Biochemists, software developers, civil engineers, and research analysts all have one thing in common: these are all classified as occupations under the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math- otherwise known as STEM. STEM-related jobs are responsible for many technological advances that improve the world’s standard of living. Despite society’s dependence on STEM disciplines, studies have been shown that “[j]ust over 1 in 10 [high school] graduates indicated interest in a STEM major or occupation” (The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2013). Many experts agree that more students are needed to pursue these fields; the varying factor is how to get them interested in STEM in the first place. Some people believe schools lay
Right from my school days, I have always shown a high degree of competence and interest in subjects like Mathematics and Science. I scored 88 marks in Mathematics & 84 marks in Science in Secondary School (10th standard). It was with this motivation that I took up the Science stream in my senior school. I completed my senior school with first class grade. My fairly good performance at secondary and senior school gave me the confidence to take Engineering as my career.
An ambition to learn and grow and having passion for engineering have prompted me to go in for graduate studies. Chasing my Dreams! While growing up at a young age I was always intrigued by objects that produced mechanical work and energy be it prime movers such as automobiles, construction and mining equipment, turbo machinery such as jet engines, space shuttles or complex mechanisms of mechanical watches, I used to spend a lot of time trying to learn and figure out their basis and propositions, it was necessary for me to explore my inner conscience to understand my fascination towards machines and their ingenuity, Mechanical engineering seemed a direct consequence of my convictions. I have always admired my father as a civil engineer and his hard work and struggles throughout his life; He has always been a role model for me. He motivated me to pursue my dreams so I decided to pursue my undergraduate study in Mechanical Engineering
In the most basic sense, engineering means “making things happen.” It is the practical application of science and math, the two subjects I am most passionate about, to solve everyday problems. It opens up a world of opportunity to create innovative technology that influences many aspects of people’s lives, this giving an individual the power to make a difference. While I am deeply interested in the subjects that are the foundation of engineering, in addition I have many other personal reasons for pursuing civil engineering in specific. I am motivated by my desire to fulfill my lifelong goal of creating purposeful infrastructure, to make all of my family proud, and to prove that not all engineers