This past year has definitely been my most eventful academic year thus far. Having successfully completed my first year, I felt confident going into my second year as a chemical engineering student. I think that two experiences this past year have had the most impact on my goals and life trajectory. 

 

My first specific experience is me successfully passing organic chemistry I and materials and energy balances. This was very important to me because both of these classes are significant to my degree and career path. Organic chemistry is notoriously one of the hardest course to take, so I was a bit hesitant as to how I would do. However, thanks to the many resources that I had available to me, such as SI sessions, study groups, practice problems and review videos, I was able to make it through. Materials and energy balances was my first major specific course, so I was anxious to take it. I hadn’t heard any bad news about the class like with organic chemistry, but I knew that my interest and performance in the class would be an indicator of how well a fit chemical engineering was for me. As with organic chemistry, I prevailed, thanks to the TA office hours and group study sessions. Both of these academic victories reinforced my confidence and assurance that I can make it through the rest of my assigned curriculum. However, I was reminded that I cannot do it by myself and that I need to work with others and use my resources. 

 

As I am writing this, I am currently taking full time classes in the summer because I was at my first co-op in the spring. I have definitely transferred what I experienced in the fall into a renewed energy to get through this summer. All college course are hard, but college courses over the summer are even harder because its summer and that is not normally a time we are accustomed to being in school. Nevertheless, I still have high academic goals and want to maintain at least 3.50 cumulative gpa.

 

While I have my last fall semester on my mind, I also have my thoughts this upcoming fall semester, as it will be my second co-op term. My first co-op term was the second major experience that shaped my life trajectory and goals. I worked at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., located in Reading, Ohio. As this is close to campus and my home, I commuted from home and was able to stay involved in some on campus activities, such as attending meetings and a conference with our UC National Society of Black Engineers chapter. I believe the focal point of my co-op experience was maintaining communication, especially coming into it with no prior industry experience. 

Throughout the entire term I was surrounded by very knowledgeable people who were more than willing to help. With that, I still had to do my part and speak up, let people know what’s going on, ask questions, schedule time, and collaborate. While the project engineering work I was doing was not specifically related to my major, I learned so much and would not trade that experience if I had a do-over. I improved my soft skills, gained some technical skills, and earned the opportunity to come back in the fall. While I’ll be in a different role, still not exactly chemical engineering specific, I will make the most of my time and be sure to apply all that I learned the first time around. As a result, of my first co-op and this next upcoming one, I will likely look for a major specific co-op opportunity for my third rotation. While there are lots of areas where I could pursue this, even within Thermo Fisher, I will plan to pursue a third co-op at a new company which may or may not be in the greater Cincinnati area, or even in Ohio. 

 

All in all, this year was a great year and I’m still pushing hard to finish out the year strong, since I technically consider this summer semester the end of my second full academic year.