Calling Student Engineers

If you are in high school, it’s never too early to consider what you might want to study in college or pursue as a career. 

February 16^th sees the start of National Engineers Week, a nationwide celebration of the important role played by engineers in our society.   Designed to coincide with the birthday of the person regarded by some as the nation’s first engineer, George Washington, National Engineers Week also features Girl Day on February 20^th, encouraging more girls to consider joining the ranks of engineers.  In California, Sen. Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres), at ACEC California’s request, introduced a Senate Resolution acknowledging the valuable contributions made to society by engineers. 

Without engineers, the world just wouldn’t be the same.   Engineers solve complex, critical problems facing states, municipalities and communities.  In doing so, they often innovate and make our world a better place, whether it be by designing a screen to protect endangered fish species so water can continue to flow to agricultural users, setting new standards in seismic safety for a tunnel spanning a major fault line or figuring out a way to move 100-year old train tracks so that a city’s downtown core can expand and flourish. 

It was engineers who were responsible for devising a way to navigate LA’s busy streets and get the Space Shuttle Endeavor to its new home at the California Science Center in October 2012. 

Photo Credit:  Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times

The space shuttle project and many more were taken on by California engineering companies and were so successful they received recognition in this year’s ACEC’s Engineering Excellence Awards. These projects all have one thing in a common:  a talented engineer, or team of engineers, was presented with a problem and came up with a practical, efficient solution.

There are many reasons to consider a career in engineering. If you are creative, like to solve problems and work with other talented people, or you want to travel and are looking for the potential for rapid advancement in your career, engineering might be a good choice for you. 

A recent report released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) also showed that engineering majors were seven of the 10 highest paid starting majors among 2013 graduates. 

For more on why you should consider a career as an engineer, check out this video.