When I ask him when he first thought about his major, he stops to think for a second. His current love for his major makes it hard to pinpoint just the point when he began making this crucial decision. He settles with the summer before Freshman Year. Both of David's parents are engineers- his father Petroleum and mother, Chemical. David's family is from Colombia, and most of his relatives live there. Being far from them, his immediate family in Houston are very close. David was inspired by his parents and influenced to follow the path to Engineering. David also was influenced to this field by his 12th grade Physics teacher. David has a vibrant personality and connects to people easily. Before the interview, we were just speaking about how we like to find friends in every class, a contrast to his girl friend and one of my best friends, who likes a "break" from talking and knowing people in some classes. He is very extroverted, and it makes sense that he was influenced more by people than other factors in choosing a major.
David was admitted to UT in Petroleum Engineering. He chose this field as a temporary entry into the school. Because he was exposed to the field from his father, it was an easy choice for him. However, he did not feel very sure about it. He wanted something more broad, so that he wouldn't be limited in his future profession. He did not feel too worried about it as he knew it was easy to change majors within the Engineering school, and he was still 100% sure about Engineering. He was considering Chemical or Mechanical Engineering
His second semester of Freshman year, he took a Statics class, an Engineering class that he really enjoyed. This class specifically relates to Mechanical Engineering, and the people and material covered in this class pushed David to be 100% sure he wanted to transfer to Mechanical. For many college students, decisions don't come as easily or as strongly as they did for David. However, that's just his personality. When David likes something, he loves it. He has strong emotions and strong attachments. He likes grand gestures, and it makes him who he is and a great guy to be around. In fact, he wanted to treat Taylor (his girl friend) and I by bringing us Which Wich sandwiches while we were studying before the interview.
He officially transferred to Mechanical the first semester of his Sophomore year. That year, his classes in terms of what he learned, the professors, and his fellow students validated his decision. He was not only 100% sure in his major, but really felt passionate about it. He began his search for a summer internship by attending the career expo and communicating his passion for the field. He got an internship with a Nuclear Plant in a small town near Houston.
Though he enjoyed learning about the workings of the plant, he did wish he got to do more meaningful work in the internship. Nevertheless, it didn't reduce his passion for the field going into his Junior year. He again really enjoyed his classes with concepts, projects, and people. In particular, he loved his thermodynamics class- another major specific class. He went through the recruiting process to get another internship for the summer. This time, he opted for a company in Downtown Austin, with only 3 employees at this location. He really enjoyed himself, and was especially influenced by his mentor. He found that his mentor was very smart, and gave David work that was both meaningful but not overwhelming. He was also able to apply concepts he had learned in class. David was making a real impact in his internship.
David is now in his Senior year. He is recruiting with companies and his energy and passion for his field is sure to get him great prospects!
His second semester of Freshman year, he took a Statics class, an Engineering class that he really enjoyed. This class specifically relates to Mechanical Engineering, and the people and material covered in this class pushed David to be 100% sure he wanted to transfer to Mechanical. For many college students, decisions don't come as easily or as strongly as they did for David. However, that's just his personality. When David likes something, he loves it. He has strong emotions and strong attachments. He likes grand gestures, and it makes him who he is and a great guy to be around. In fact, he wanted to treat Taylor (his girl friend) and I by bringing us Which Wich sandwiches while we were studying before the interview.
He officially transferred to Mechanical the first semester of his Sophomore year. That year, his classes in terms of what he learned, the professors, and his fellow students validated his decision. He was not only 100% sure in his major, but really felt passionate about it. He began his search for a summer internship by attending the career expo and communicating his passion for the field. He got an internship with a Nuclear Plant in a small town near Houston.
Though he enjoyed learning about the workings of the plant, he did wish he got to do more meaningful work in the internship. Nevertheless, it didn't reduce his passion for the field going into his Junior year. He again really enjoyed his classes with concepts, projects, and people. In particular, he loved his thermodynamics class- another major specific class. He went through the recruiting process to get another internship for the summer. This time, he opted for a company in Downtown Austin, with only 3 employees at this location. He really enjoyed himself, and was especially influenced by his mentor. He found that his mentor was very smart, and gave David work that was both meaningful but not overwhelming. He was also able to apply concepts he had learned in class. David was making a real impact in his internship.
David is now in his Senior year. He is recruiting with companies and his energy and passion for his field is sure to get him great prospects!
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