Juliet Schick

Name: Juliet Schick

Email: jschick1@umbc.edu

Other Majors/Minors: Entrepreneurship

On-Campus Affiliations: CWIT Affiliate, ASME (Social Chair, Professional Development Chair), Musical Theatre Company, AF Theatre Company (Executive Board)

Internships: Spin Master, GE Appliances, Sherwin Williams

On-Campus Research: N/A

Difficulties: Balancing class, homework, studying, personal time, self-care, and sleeping to have a good mental health status so that I have the energy and motivation to go to classes. Being a gender minority in predominantly male groups in my engineering classes and facing microaggressions from peers and faculty. Weaknesses in confidence and public speaking, as my only practice with presentations and public speaking, was at the end of a semester when presenting large projects under a lot of pressure. Having a lower-stakes practice of public speaking may have helped deter this fear.

What helped you with these difficulties: My support network, consisting of reliable peers, mentors, and professors. Peers helped me through study groups, so I was able to recognize how people process information differently and that we all have different strengths, and that’s okay. Peers and friends also helped me with positive affirmations when I was feeling doubtful about my abilities. Mentors and professors helped give me overall career advice and helped me work on my soft skills, helping me recognize that my communication skills are also important in an engineering career.

Scores:

How do I feel about being an engineer: 68%

Aspects:

• Relating to people in my class or activities: 54%
• Fitting into an engineering career and being treated fairly: 71%
• Dealing with or overcoming problems and difficulties: 80%

How motivated am I to study engineering: 73%

Aspects:

How I value engineering: 86%

I’m motivated to study engineering because of:

• Financial rewards: 67%
• Parental Influence: 17%
• Improvements to the welfare of society: 67%
• Mentor Influence: 100%
• It’s own purpose:89%
• It’s practical uses: 86%

How do I Value Necessary Engineering Skills: 56%

Aspects:

• How essential professional and interpersonal skills are: 67%
• How essential math and science skills are: 44%

 

Brian Woronowicz

Name: Brian Woronowicz

Email: bworono1@umbc.edu

Other Minors/Majors: Computer Science and Entrepreneurship. In freshman year, I added my computer science minor because of my fascination with robotics, a field which is heavily dependent on coding prowess. I figured it would compliment my mechanical engineering major and allow me to not only design awesome robotic structures, but program them as well. In Junior year, I realized that a big part of being an engineer is being able to sell your ideas to others. Even the greatest ideas are nullified if you are unable to communicate them effectively. Due to this realization, I took on an Entrepreneurship minor because I wanted to increase my skills in effective communication with others, even if they do not come from a technical background or perspective.

On-Campus Affiliations: Meyerhoff Scholar, ASME, IEEE, WMBC

Internships: mLab Robotics at Oregon State University

On-Campus Research: Dr. Soobum Lee (ENME)

Difficulties: I think my biggest weakness was CHEM 101. It felt like a class where the teachers did not want to assist you in achieving your best performance. I also had trouble finding inspiration from within to truly apply myself to a class that I personally did not find interesting.

What helped you with these difficulties: When dealing with hardships, the people in my life and the friendships I have forged at UMBC are priceless. Having a strong support structure in place to catch you when you aren’t performing well in college, either academically or some other aspect of life, has been so important in getting me to where I am today. Sometimes all it takes is someone to believe in you and provide genuine support to lift you out of bad times and propel you to successes that you previously did not imagine.

Scores:

How do I feel about being an engineer: 87%

Aspects:

• Relating to people in my class or activities: 71%
• Fitting into an engineering career and being treated fairly: 98%
• Dealing with or overcoming problems and difficulties: 93%

How motivated am I to study engineering: 67%

Aspects:

How I value engineering: 86%

I’m motivated to study engineering because of:

• Financial rewards: 44%
• Parental Influence: 0%
• Improvements to the welfare of society: 100%
• Mentor Influence: 42%
• It’s own purpose: 100%
• It’s practical uses: 100%

How do I Value Necessary Engineering Skills: 75%

Aspects:

• How essential professional and interpersonal skills are: 50%
• How essential math and science skills are: 100%

 

Poojan Shah

Name: Poojan Shah

Email: spoojan1@umbc.edu

Other Majors/Minors: N/A

On-Campus Affiliations: Meyerhoff Scholar, S-STEM, Tau Beta Pi

Internships: BGE, Boston Scientific

On-Campus Research: Dr. Soobum Lee (ENME)

Difficulties: After receiving a D on my first exam in college, I was not very confident in my abilities to succeed. My peers, mentors and teaching fellows definitely helped me overcome this lack of confidence. I was able to learn a lot from that one small set back and it really helped me realize that college is hard but with hard work it is not impossible.

What helped you with these difficulties: Working with classmates in the common study lounges was a huge help early on in college. This helped me meet new people and understand the material a lot better. Some other helpful resources that have helped me are professor and TA office hours, Castle (for math), Pass SI, and CHEM Discovery center. There are plenty of resources available around campus, we just need to be active in seeking help when needed.

Scores:

How do I feel about being an engineer: 87%

Aspects:

• Relating to people in my class or activities: 71%
• Fitting into an engineering career and being treated fairly: 98%
• Dealing with or overcoming problems and difficulties: 92

How motivated am I to study engineering: for 77%

Aspects:

How I value engineering: 100%

I’m motivated to study engineering because of:

• Financial rewards: 78%
• Parental Influence: 17%
• Improvements to the welfare of society: 89%
• Mentor Influence: 67%
• It’s own purpose: 89%
• It’s practical uses: 100%

How do I Value Necessary Engineering Skills: 75%

Aspects:

• How essential professional and interpersonal skills are: 72%
• How essential math and science skills are: 78%

 

Jocelyn Wilkins

Name: Jocelyn Wilkins

Email: jocelyn4@umbc.edu

Other Majors/Minors: Honors Certificate

On-Campus Affiliations: CWIT Affiliate, ASME, Resident Assistant

Internships: NASA Goddard

On-Campus Research: Dr. Zupan (ENME)

Difficulties: I had a hard time acquiring spatial reasoning. I struggled with a lack of confidence. I also struggled to acclimate socially.

What helped you with these difficulties: I joined a study group and went to office hours frequently. I also became a ME mentee.

 

 

Scores:

How do I feel about being an engineer: 80%

Aspects:

• Relating to people in my class or activities: 83%
• Fitting into an engineering career and being treated fairly: 74%
• Dealing with or overcoming problems and difficulties: 83%

How motivated am I to study engineering: 87%

Aspects:

How I value engineering: 92%

I’m motivated to study engineering because of:

• Financial rewards: 78%
• Parental Influence: 67%
• Improvements to the welfare of society: 100%
• Mentor Influence: 75%
• It’s own purpose: 100%
• It’s practical uses: 100%

How do I Value Necessary Engineering Skills: 97%

Aspects:

• How essential professional and interpersonal skills are: 94%
• How essential math and science skills are: 100%

 

Daniel DeSmit

Name: Daniel DeSmit

Email: dd7@umbc.edu

Other Majors/Minors: Entrepreneurship

On-Campus Affiliations: ASME, SAE, Teaching Fellow

Internships: Whiting-Turner, Architectural Engineering Firm (unlisted)

On-Campus Research: N/A

Difficulties: Chemistry was a struggle not because of the material learned, but the professors and exams that were made to Trick people. Group dynamics on a project can also be difficult at times and trying to find what path to take in the long term finding a job which can be stressful because it is unknown into the future.

What helped you with these difficulties: Talk to professors, especially if you need help with how to navigate group dynamics if you are struggling. Talk to UMBC Career Center and professors to help you get internships and figure out what direction to go in after your degree or for internships.

Scores:

How do I feel about being an engineer: 80%

Aspects:

• Relating to people in my class or activities: 83%
• Fitting into an engineering career and being treated fairly: 78%
• Dealing with or overcoming problems and difficulties: 80%

How motivated am I to study engineering: 63%

Aspects:

How I value engineering: 78%

I’m motivated to study engineering because of:

• Financial rewards: 67%
• Parental Influence: 0%
• Improvements to the welfare of society: 89%
• Mentor Influence: 42%
• It’s own purpose: 67%
• It’s practical uses: 100%

How do I Value Necessary Engineering Skills: 86%

Aspects:

• How essential professional and interpersonal skills are: 72%
• How essential math and science skills are: 100%

 

Jamie Kshimeski

Name: Jamie Kshimetski

Email: kjamie1@umbc.edu

Other Minors/Majors: N/A

On-Campus Affiliations: TBP, Engineers Without Borders

Internships: WR Grace

On-Campus Research: N/A

Difficulties: Coping with the stress of the intense workload was hard at first

What helped you with these difficulties:  I kept a planner or updated google calendar and to-do lists with prioritized tasks to make sure I was doing what I needed to get everything done. I also started work ahead of time and tried to finish my homework for the week as early as I could. Being able to ask other people about homework questions when I was stuck was helpful too. Also, when exams were coming up I went through my notes and wrote an exam study sheet with important formulas and concepts – that was probably the most helpful thing for my freshman/sophomore year classes!

Scores:

How do I feel about being an engineer: 85%

Aspects:

• Relating to people in my class or activities: 79%
• Fitting into an engineering career and being treated fairly: 95%
• Dealing with or overcoming problems and difficulties: 80%

How motivated am I to study engineering: 66%

Aspects:

How I value engineering: 94%

I’m motivated to study engineering because of:

• Financial rewards: 67%
• Parental Influence: 0%
• Improvements to the welfare of society: 100%
• Mentor Influence: 17%
• It’s own purpose: 100%
• It’s practical uses: 94%

How do I Value Necessary Engineering Skills: 73%

Aspects:

• How essential professional and interpersonal skills are: 56%
• How essential math and science skills are: 89%

 

Shannon Clancy

Name: Shannon Clancy

Email: sclanc1@umbc.edu

Other Majors/ Minors: N/A

On-Campus Affiliations: CWIT Affiliate, ASME, TBP, Resident Assistant, Teaching Fellow

Internships: Ford Motor Company (2018, 2019)

On-Campus Research: Prof. Gurganus (ENME)

Difficulties: During freshman year, I was very anxious about schoolwork to the point where I was almost constantly doing it and not always taking time for myself. I remember getting a low grade on the first Chem 101 exam and doubting my potential success as a ME and self-worth. I also had difficulty getting an internship after both my freshman and sophomore year in any engineering field, mostly due to my interviewing skills.However, I had the opportunity to work in the CWIT office and in UMBC Residential Life. While it wasn’t engineering/technical experience, it taught me skills I used constantly use working with other students and in teams. I realized other skills and positions I had could be used in engineering and are just as valuable as my technical skills.

What helped you with these difficulties: Scheduled time in for myself, talked to friends and peers about my work life balance. I also frequently talked to my professors and upperclassmen students who I trusted about my stresses and ways to be successful in a certain class, project, etc. I also used the Career Center resources to help my resume and frequently went to different industry recruiter events to talk to industry professors from various companies to get practice with my 30 second elevator speech and talked to peers who had previous internships about how they prepared for interviews.

Scores:

How do I feel about being an engineer: 75%

Aspects:

• Relating to people in my class or activities: 71%
• Fitting into an engineering career and being treated fairly: 76%
• Dealing with or overcoming problems and difficulties: 77%

How motivated am I to study engineering: 77%

Aspects:

How I value engineering: 81%

I’m motivated to study engineering because of:

• Financial rewards: 44%
• Parental Influence: 67%
• Improvements to the welfare of society: 78%
• Mentor Influence: 67%
• It’s own purpose: 100%
• It’s practical uses: 100%

How do I Value Necessary Engineering Skills: 67%

Aspects:

• How essential professional and interpersonal skills are: 78%
• How essential math and science skills are: 56%