This past 2017-2018 academic year, I entered into the honors program as a transition student. This means I applied to the program after fall semester ended in hopes of entering the UHP, and I took the “Gateway to Honors” seminar in spring semester instead of fall semester. I felt drawn to the program because of my many friends and classmates who were part of it. I began to learn more about the ways the program enhances students’ experiences and I decided I wanted to try my best to be a part of it even if I hadn’t been admitted upon my admission to the University.

My first academic year of college has exceeded my expectations, as I have had many experiences, both honors and otherwise, that have been exciting and formative for me. First semester is a time of trying new things and seeing what fits or doesn’t fit. I’m glad to say I found some great ways to use my time that do fit for me. The extra-curricular experience that has had the most impact on me and is my involvement with Engineers Without Borders. I joined after attending the very first meeting, not knowing exactly how the student chapter or committees worked. I became more involved because I was inspired by the way it is almost completely student-run. I have gained a lot of respect for the way EWB stresses the importance of connections with the community and sustainability. I have recently heard a lot of horror stories about voluntourism groups that start unnecessary or unwanted projects and leave them to deteriorate. EWB specifically only starts projects that a community initiates and declares a need for, and that has been an important lesson for me as an engineer. It has encouraged me to reflect upon the difference between ability and need. There are times when a project is possible, but it is important to weigh the risks and the needs before doing something “just because you can.”

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EWB is one of the reasons I became more interested in the UHP, because many of its members are part of the Honors Program. One member, who was then a vice president, told me about the way the program helps with travel on EWB trips, and I had been interested in traveling from very early on. I now am set to travel in August 2018.

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I am grateful that my extracurricular experiences opened my door for the University Honors Program, and that the UHP is already helping enhance the extracurricular experiences I am already seeking out. I recently returned from a self-designed honors experience of a road trip across the United States. I took this journey with my best friend since 4th grade, and we got to experience Yellowstone, Grand Teton, San Francisco, Muir Woods, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and so much more. This experience was enlightening in many ways, but in terms of my future, it enhanced my understanding both of the beauty of this country, and the ways environmental engineering is needed. It also made me think more about how regions really do inform one’s views, and the reasons these regional stereotypes seem so concrete. Certain regions in particular may need environmental help, but be opposed to it. Others may be pro environmental reclamation, but are not in as much need as others. In the future, I will surely encounter this gap between need and feasibility as I have encountered here and through the lessons of EWB.

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2018-2019 

The 2018-2019 academic year has brought new work experiences unlike anything I had done before. These job opportunities have heavily impacted my college and honors experience.

 

The first “job” I had this year was the pre-approved experience with Engineers Without Borders in Tanzania. I have been involved with EWB since the start of my freshman year, and this trip really expanded my love for the organization and the communities in Tanzania we work with. The trip was only two weeks long, but in that time we constructed a water expansion system bringing water to two primary schools and two community centers. The amount of assistance and input we got from the community members was so important to the project. Community members showed us the best places for the tap stands to reach the most people and to remain safe and untampered with. People of all ages (from younger than ten to older than 70) helped us roll out pipe, move tanks, etc. Among the many things this work taught  me, the most impactful on my beliefs and my career as an environmental engineer were the value of community and the life-changing power of clean water. It was clear that the entire community was invested in the project. People of all ages (from younger than ten to older than 70) and genders helped us roll out pipe, move tanks, etc. Since the trip, I have made more of an effort to find community and connection with people interested in the work I am. It’s so important to have people you share values with, whether for social justice or clean water. So many of the community members I spoke with talked about the extreme importance of water. A common phrase I heard was “water is the life source.” Though this is something we all know, I (as I assume most Americans do) really had taken that fact for granted. We all depend so heavily on water, and their understanding of this importance affirmed my thoughts that I would like to work to ensure access to clean water for all people.

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The next work experience I had was my first ever customer service job- as Adventure Guide at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. I worked last winter during the Festival of Lights season, and am working there again this summer. This job impacted me by teaching many lessons of interpersonal communications. One lesson I learned was that customer service isn’t necessarily easy. Customers can be irritable or rude, and the atmosphere can be busy and stressful. Experiences with those situations have really developed my patience and listening skills.

 

The final work experience I had this year was my Spring 2019 Co-op with Ulliman Schutte, a water/wastewater treatment construction company. US has numerous project locations, and I was placed in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The culture of the town and the workplace were both quite different from what I have experienced in the past. The town is very isolated, and for the most part very conservative. I was able to find community in a small Unitarian Universalist church, but for the most part I spent my free time alone. At first this was really hard for me, having always had close friends, roommates or family to spend time with. However, I really began to enjoy my own company. I’d treat myself to restaurant meals, go to a movie, or explore the town on my own. I am really grateful I have gained this comfort with being alone, because it allows me to take care of myself and not rely on others to do the things I want to. The job itself taught me a lot of lessons about working with supervisors and people with different mindsets and ideologies. As I proved myself at work, I was given more and more responsibility. Learning how to juggle tasks and seek help when necessary will be extremely useful no matter where I work in the future.

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2019-2020

I started this year at a rally against the Ohio abortion ban, and I’m ending it at protests against police brutality. I have learned a lot this year, but the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I need and want to work and learn to become a better ally, activist, and global citizen.

I have had a lot of experiences this year that have taken me out of my comfort zone. At the pro-choice rally, for example, I joined a conversation with people who were also on the pro-choice side and with a few pro-life counter-protestors. We talked for many minutes about our different beliefs. It was exhausting and extremely uncomfortable. It was difficult knowing that no matter how solid and informed I thought my argument was, I probably wouldn’t change their minds. However, I learned about an opposing belief and the logic behind it, and I think they did the same. As I’ve reflected upon this, I don’t think it’s likely I made an impact on their minds, but it was still worth my time. It was much-needed practice of getting uncomfortable in terms of my beliefs and activism that has foreshadowed my continued practice over the year.

This fall semester, I worked at a construction company near DC. I was able to engage with the construction workers, most of whom are Latinx immigrants. When new hires came in, I was responsible for helping them fill out their paperwork. Many of the men had very limited English, and most of the forms were only available in English. I would sit and go through forms with them (using Google translate because I have not learned Spanish). I encountered some of my feelings that made me uncomfortable and ashamed, the worst of which was frustration. I was frustrated that they didn’t have forms in English, frustrated that it was taking so long to explain, and frustrated with the communication overall. I was ashamed to feel these feelings, because I knew they were a sign of my privilege and implicit bias. In working through this discomfort, I reminded myself of the fact that my moments of frustration are nothing compared to living every day in a country that doesn’t speak your language, and in many ways doesn’t respect you. These close experiences with the workers weren’t always smooth and easy, but engaging with them opened my eyes to their experiences. I heard frustrations about not getting promotions some of them believed they should have earned, frustrations about the language barrier, and so many stories of their experiences. I met some amazing people I wouldn’t have in my typical bubble, and it has equipped me to continue working to be a better ally and reflect on my ingrained biases.

Today, we are all learning more about the systemic racism in this country. It hurts to watch videos of brutality. It hurts to be told you are part of the problem. It hurts to hear friends and loved ones deny there’s an issue. After this year, I know to welcome this type of hurt. My hurt will never compare to the pain of the oppressed. My hurt and discomfort will, however, teach me what I’m doing wrong and how I can do better. I’ve learned this year that that icky feeling of being ashamed of being wrong or prejudiced is a driving source for growth. I will keep finding these places of discomfort and I will go to them instead of running from them.

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