Hello Everyone! Hope you’re having a good Thursday! This week we’re talking about joining a professional organization while in college. This week, I’m talking about my experience joining the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
NSBE’s missjon is to:
Increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.
While in college, I was heavily involved in NSBE and held a leadership position every year on both the chapter and regional level. I had so much fun going to the conferences in different cities that I’ve never been to while expanding network as well as gaining encouragement to keep pursuing my degree. It’s so motivating to see other people who look like you across the country all trying to pursue an engineering degree. While NSBE gave me a place to call home on Pitt’s campus, it taught me the following things as well:
Everyone’s journey is different.
It can be very discouraging when your plan doesn’t go as expected, however, everyone’s story is different. By engaging with people in the organization, you find that everyone has a unique story as to how they got to where they are.
How to manage my time.
Serving in leadership posidions. While being a student can be a challenge to juggle. When I served as the Region II Secretary, it felt like I was taking another class. You can’t allow your role in the organization to slide as well as your grades which is why time management comes into play.
How to work with different people.
Not everyone you work with is going to work the same way as you would like. You have to learn how to mend that fence in order to get things done. While it can be frustrating and annoying, it all works out for the better.
To have fun even when it feels like I can’t.
Engineering is so stressful. I can’t lie. It may feel like you can’t do anything else besides study. Well going to these conferences showed me that it’s okah to relax a little bit and enjoy the moments around you.
If you’re in college reading this, make sure you join a professional organization. Its through these groups that you gain insight as to what is going on in your industry as well as expand your network.
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