How I Got Started in Engineering

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 2013, I work as an engineer in the aviation industry, and I am a Professional Engineer. I didn’t always want to be an engineer though. As a matter of fact, I wanted to be as far away from an engineer as possible. I wanted to be a high school history teacher! How did I get started in engineering you may ask; continue reading to find out!

For me, life after high school started out a bit different from the majority of my peers. I became a father shortly after graduating from high school. Prior to my son’s birth, I opted to completely drop out of college a week before classes started, and try to find a job. I graduated from high school in 2008 and became a father in February of 2009.

By the time my son was born, I was making minimum wage working at an apartment complex doing groundskeeping and simple maintenance. Although I was thankful to have a job, I knew this wasn’t going to be the best way to provide the lifestyle I wanted for myself and my son. It became very apparent that if I wanted to provide a certain lifestyle for us, I would have to win the lottery, possibly work multiple jobs, or go back to college and earn a degree in hopes I could find a higher paying job. I am very fortunate to have had very supportive people guiding me throughout life, and it is at this point that my engineering influencers come into the picture.  

One of the first people to have an immediate impact on my decision to go to engineering was a resident of the apartment complex where I was working, Anthony. Although not an engineer by degree, Anthony was an engineer by trade, where he retired from the telecommunications industry in New York. I spoke to Anthony often while I was at work, where he gave me tremendous insight into the power and telecommunications industries. Anthony’s mentoring sparked my interest not only in engineering, but also in going back to school.

The next person to have a major engineering influence on me is the father of my best childhood friend, Steve. Steve is not only a Professional Engineer and IP attorney, he has also been a father figure to me throughout much of my life. I spent many days, weeks, and months at my best friend’s house starting in elementary school. Although I did not know much about Steve’s profession, he mentored me when I inquired. Steve primarily enlightened me to the opportunities outside of engineering, particularly in the area of IP law, which is an area of law that usually requires an engineering degree.

The last, but certainly not least, person to have an engineering effect on me was my aunt, Ina. Ina, or Tia Ina, is a VP at a university in Oklahoma. In the summer of 2009, I toured the university campus where she works, and spoke with many faculty members of different engineering technology programs: HVAC, Power Plant, Instrumentation, and Electronics. Prior to visiting my aunt’s university, I already had in mind where I would go to school to begin my engineering journey, Hillsborough Community College (HCC) in Tampa Bay, Florida. The purpose of the trip to Oklahoma was to gain clarity towards making a commitment to study something engineering related during the Fall semester of 2009. Although I did not end up going to school in Oklahoma, the trip did give me the much needed insight to make a final decision to declare engineering as the focus of my degree. 

The decision to stay in Florida would allow me to stay close to my support system, which was my immediate family. This system played a huge part in allowing me to work, study, and care for my son. Fresh from my trip to Oklahoma, I immediately began researching what I would need to do in order to obtain my engineering degree. Since I had spoken to so many electrically related engineers and technologists, I decided to declare EE as my major. I found recommended plans of study, spoke to advisors, applied for financial aid and student loans, and enrolled myself as a student at HCC. I earned the degree of Associate in Arts with Emphasis in Engineering from HCC in the Fall semester of 2011. I transferred to the University of South Florida the following semester, and graduated with my BSEE in the Fall semester of 2013.

Looking back, choosing engineering was one of the best life decisions I ever made. Not only does engineering offer things like a high starting salary, job security, and opportunities for career growth/advancement, engineering also provides incredibly interesting and challenging work. Engineering has also allowed me to have great flexibility in choosing where I want to work, as I have the ability to work remotely, anywhere in the United States, and even anywhere in the world. Lastly, combined with a strong work ethic, engineering has allowed me to provide for myself and my family in a way that I never thought possible.