Megan White

Description:

In spring 2015, I went to Chicago IL with the Society of Women Engineers for an Alternative Spring Break. I and eleven other women from the University of Michigan spent a few days at Lindblom Academy of Math and Science to do engineering outreach.  This trip was also a major learning experience. We spent some time interacting with the students and teachers and learning how the school prepares kids for college and encourages them to follow their passion for math and science. I helped to lead activities including bridge building, spaghetti tower making, and LEGO Mindstorms programming,  which introduced students to the basics of thinking like an engineer. We also answered student questions about college life and advertised Michigan Engineering as a great place to consider to further thieir education. 

Skills Gained

• Public Speaking and Interpersonal skills

• Adaptability 

• Improved analytical and logical thinking

• Problem solving

• Time and Project Management

Lessons Learned/Impact

This experience helped me to gain a new perspective on the high school experience and communicating with others with similar aspirations. It amazed me that Lindblom offered classes that taught students how to program and utilize basic engineering skills at the high school level. I never had the opportunity to be introduced to engineering before college, or be involved in clubs that encouraged me to pursue math and science interests. I learned to be very flexible and adaptive when it came to leading activites, because unforseen schedule changes and communication issues with teachers forced us to modify our itinerary. I developed close relationships with the other women on the trip, and learned that working in a team toward a common goal is a very efficient way to approach any problem. The entire experience was very personally fufilling and I would willingly continue to do engineering outreach to give students a view of engineering I never had.