Engineers Week was established in 1951 as a way to promote a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Each year, aeSolutions celebrates Engineers Week by hosting fun activities for our employees, and by sharing resources and stories that highlight how engineers – and engineering companies – make a difference in our world.
This year we asked our employees a series of questions related to engineering and engineering companies as a career choice. We’ll be share some of their answers over the course of Engineers Week, which runs from February 18-23.
These questions focus on why our employees chose engineering as a career, and the impact they believe that has had on their communities.
Why did you choose engineering as a career path?
Solving problems. I am not a fan of puzzles. Someone else has determined the final outcome before you have started. Solving a problem is gathering information and creating a solution that can be presented to a team or client for further refinement. – Andy G.
I was a single-parent and needed a career that would enable me to support my two daughters and myself. I had worked in retail, restaurant, and banking industries and I was bored working at a bank. I attended a course at a community college called, Women In Transition. This program used various tests and tools to research what career would be a good fit. I learned I had similar interests with engineers and military officers. Since military was not an option for me. It was a matter of which discipline to pursue. I learned how to obtain scholarships, and quit my banking job to purse an engineering degree. Once I took General Chemistry, I knew Chemical Engineering was the path for me. – Kelly J.
My high school guidance counselor suggested engineering because I was taking three math electives at the time. At the time, I really did not know what engineers do. – Ken O.
I did well in math and science in school and had two relatives in engineering who encouraged me to consider chemical engineering as a career. One was a chemical engineer who was head of nuclear safety at Oak Ridge Laboratory and the other developed nuclear weapons integrity tests at Sandia Laboratory in New Mexico. They always had interesting experiences to relate about their jobs, so I decided before I ever entered high school to follow them into engineering as a career. – Melissa L.
I've always loved tackling the unique challenges that engineering can throw at you. – Joel R.
How would you describe the impact that your choice to go into engineering as a career has had on your community?
I have an amazing ability to fix stuff that most neighbors pay others to fix or throw it away. I was extremely valuable to all three sons as a consultant for their science fairs. My Den and Boy Scouts knew more about electricity, electronics and electromagnetism than most middle school science teachers. I can tutor students in Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, etc. – Tom M.
Over a 35+ year career, I would like to think that many of the projects that I have worked on have provided a safer work environment for many and provided clients with the means to conserve capital. – Andy G.
My children learned you can do anything if you never give up. I worked on campus as a tutor and professor assistant, including volunteering for campus activities. We were engaged in the local community through the colleges I attended. I taught my girls civic engagement and obligations are part of who we are. I became an Engineering Ambassador visiting high schools to encourage students to study engineering at Texas Tech University. It would be fun to learn, what great things the students have accomplished that I encouraged to pursue engineering. – Kelly J.
My engineering training helped me build problem scoping and solving skills. In my community such as at church and in different organizations that I belong to, I have a reputation for being a quick problem solver. – Ken O.
I hope I've had a hand in keeping Chemical plants a little safer over the years, ensuring they are meeting all required regulations. I also hope I've encouraged other young woman to join math/science fields through career shows at the local high schools. – Carolyn B.
I have tried to promote engineering in a small way by discussing my experiences with friends' children who were considering majoring in engineering and in participating in career days/science fairs at local schools. Kids do not often have a lot of exposure to engineering as a career choice or understand exactly what engineers do. – Melissa L.
I believe that through my efforts the many plants I have worked in have become safer places to work and safer for the communities around them. – Kelvin S.
I have worked in several different industries and contributed to their manufacturing processes to ensure they stay running, such as power and mining, both of which are used in goods for services people use. – Mark S.