November 2011 President's Message

Thankfulness is being an Engineer

“Can you help me, Daddy?”  I took my daughters to the monthly kid’s craft at our local home improvement store this past Saturday and that is the question posed to me as we hammered and glued their picture frames together.  Moments like this make me proud to be able to guide these young, impressionable minds, to give them opportunities that teach them about engineering and to show them role models who have skills and abilities to be creative in any career.  It also made me think about the experiences I had as a child that shaped my love for engineering and a passion for a career that allows me to earn a modest living and feel good that I can help others along the way.

As you think about your life, what caused you to enter the engineering field?  Did you have an engineering parent or grandparent as your role model? Did a teacher or a neighbor unlock your love of solving problems with math and science?  Did your summer vacations to engineering wonders inspire you to pursue your current career?  Regardless of what experiences shaped your occupational choices and led you to where you are today, we all have a lot for which to be thankful.

November is the perfect time to reflect on what we have and where we are in life.  As we prepare to celebrate our national holiday of thanksgiving, we should take time to remember everyone who has helped and guided us as well as every success that we have achieved. If you have not said it before, now is a good time to sincerely say ‘thank you’ to the parent, teacher, neighbor, tour guide, or whoever mentored and inspired your to become an engineer. A phone call, a simple note, and even helping others to unlock the engineering gene inside is all it takes to show our gratitude.

And what better way to say ‘thank you’ than to encourage others to become engineers. Some ways to ignite the spark is to mentor people to make good decisions, set a positive example by doing a great job, and get involved with students at all ages to show them how much fun engineering can be.  Engineering students at the University of California San Diego campus set an example by reaching out twice a year to middle school students in the San Diego region.  This month, more than 300 sixth graders will learn about earthquakes by participating in classroom instruction, building model bridges or skyscrapers, and then observing and documenting how their structures fair on the mini-shake table at the University.  The students also get a tour of the laboratory and campus.  All this is made possible by the generosity of the UCSD engineering students who work with the sixth graders, teach them about earthquakes and show the practical uses of engineering to make our world safer. This is just one example of engineers saying ‘thank you’ by giving back to our community.

I say ‘thank you’ to everyone who has encouraged me along the way, mentored me in my career, and helped me to a point where I can effectively make a difference for other people.  The people I am helping include my daughters and sons, even when we are building picture frames at a home improvement craft event. I am thankful that I can be a positive role model for them, and encourage them to build things that, one day, may inspire them to become engineers.  And I remind myself to relish in being able to teach them how to hammer and glue wood because the day is soon coming that my children will be able to hammer and glue better than me. Even for that I am thankful!