Year In Review: 2015 - 2016
Part One: What? So What?
This past year has been exciting and productive as I have continued to shape my path both academically and professionally. I have completed two coop rotations and a part time work semester with Setco where I have gained competence in a number of engineering skills (such as 2D detail drafting and reverse engineering damaged parts) as well as completed small projects within various engineering focuses (including production and process engineering). I have been giving a good degree of freedom with my work duties and have enjoyed seeing how my efforts have already had a positive impact within the organization. In addition, I appreciate the professional connections that I have been able to make over the past year both at Setco’s headquarters in Cincinnati as well as at their repair facility in Novi, Michigan. Personally, these three work experiences have been equally if not more important in developing my practical engineering education at the University of Cincinnati and have confirmed my original motivation for choosing UC for my education. Academically, I have continued performing well and the course content has remained interesting due to its link to my overall passions. I have recently decided on pursuing minors in Management and Robotics/Automation. I am pleased with my intended academic path as I believe that it will help mold me into a well-rounded engineering prospect, especially when coupled with my studies on leadership during my two honors seminars. At the conclusion of this year I completed my self-designed honors experience, Endeavor into the Field of Exosuits. This research project taught me some valuable lessons in how to balance my attention for my minor passions amidst a generally busy schedule. Outside of my engineering education, I have remained involved within the community through a variety of service events. Specifically during my coop rotation in Novi, I made a number of personal connections during my volunteering with Legacy Church and the Novi Community Center that made my time in an unfamiliar location very enjoyable. Socially, I have begun working with a group of classmates more during the academic semesters as well as remaining in touch with my friend group from my freshman year. When reviewing the advice posed to myself from my initial year in review, I must say that I am thrilled with what I have accomplished since that time. Even without consciously focusing on it, I have continued or achieved everything that I had recommended to myself. Put simply, is there anything that I would change about this last year: NO! It has been a great year and I only hope to keep the good effort going into my final two years on campus.
Part Two: Now What?
As described above, over the course of the past year I have accomplished a good deal and have defined my path for the remainder of my time at the University of Cincinnati. When reflecting on this last year, I believe that the main reason for my general success was my flexibility in taking advantage of opportunities as they arose. My advice for my future self is not to lose this sense of openness. I am glad that I have a well-documented plan for my remaining years at UC as this will help ensure that I can complete everything I intend on doing, but this can also create a sense of complacency. Similar to my statement last year, I would regret seeing myself become one dimensional as the demands of each aspect of my life gradually increase over the coming years. I am optimistic that through determination and the experience I have acquired over the past two years that I will be able to be as successful in my final two years as I set out to be.
This past year has been exciting and productive as I have continued to shape my path both academically and professionally. I have completed two coop rotations and a part time work semester with Setco where I have gained competence in a number of engineering skills (such as 2D detail drafting and reverse engineering damaged parts) as well as completed small projects within various engineering focuses (including production and process engineering). I have been giving a good degree of freedom with my work duties and have enjoyed seeing how my efforts have already had a positive impact within the organization. In addition, I appreciate the professional connections that I have been able to make over the past year both at Setco’s headquarters in Cincinnati as well as at their repair facility in Novi, Michigan. Personally, these three work experiences have been equally if not more important in developing my practical engineering education at the University of Cincinnati and have confirmed my original motivation for choosing UC for my education. Academically, I have continued performing well and the course content has remained interesting due to its link to my overall passions. I have recently decided on pursuing minors in Management and Robotics/Automation. I am pleased with my intended academic path as I believe that it will help mold me into a well-rounded engineering prospect, especially when coupled with my studies on leadership during my two honors seminars. At the conclusion of this year I completed my self-designed honors experience, Endeavor into the Field of Exosuits. This research project taught me some valuable lessons in how to balance my attention for my minor passions amidst a generally busy schedule. Outside of my engineering education, I have remained involved within the community through a variety of service events. Specifically during my coop rotation in Novi, I made a number of personal connections during my volunteering with Legacy Church and the Novi Community Center that made my time in an unfamiliar location very enjoyable. Socially, I have begun working with a group of classmates more during the academic semesters as well as remaining in touch with my friend group from my freshman year. When reviewing the advice posed to myself from my initial year in review, I must say that I am thrilled with what I have accomplished since that time. Even without consciously focusing on it, I have continued or achieved everything that I had recommended to myself. Put simply, is there anything that I would change about this last year: NO! It has been a great year and I only hope to keep the good effort going into my final two years on campus.
Part Two: Now What?
As described above, over the course of the past year I have accomplished a good deal and have defined my path for the remainder of my time at the University of Cincinnati. When reflecting on this last year, I believe that the main reason for my general success was my flexibility in taking advantage of opportunities as they arose. My advice for my future self is not to lose this sense of openness. I am glad that I have a well-documented plan for my remaining years at UC as this will help ensure that I can complete everything I intend on doing, but this can also create a sense of complacency. Similar to my statement last year, I would regret seeing myself become one dimensional as the demands of each aspect of my life gradually increase over the coming years. I am optimistic that through determination and the experience I have acquired over the past two years that I will be able to be as successful in my final two years as I set out to be.