“Be passionate and move forward with gusto every single hour of every single day until you reach your goal.”
-Ava DuVernay
Communication
Communication skills are so important in the work field. I can only imagine the damage that could be done to a company/ workplace if communication was nonexistent. Not only will you have to discuss problems and solutions within your job, but you also should have basic communication skills that help you build a relationship with your colleagues.
Communication skills is something I am actually working on myself. Despite coming a long way in my ability to communicate in professional settings, there is still room for improvement. I personally struggle with anxiety, so being comfortable in settings where I truly have to exercise my professional communication skills can be difficult sometimes. Because of this, I have to give myself extra practice so that I can excel.
Just in December, I participated in a pageant where part of the main scoring was based on a judge and contestant interview process. In this interview I had to answer questions asked in a way that was understandable and appealing to the judges. I’ve also exercised my professional communication skills in interviews for internships I’ve had in the past. Even during the duration of these internships I had to communicate with numerous people throughout the company.
Equity & Inclusion
When I think of the words “equity” and “inclusion”, I think of diversity and acceptance of people who come from many different backgrounds. As a civil engineer major, I understand that this field is widely lacking in areas of inclusion. Specifically, lacking in African American civil engineers. I wish to help promote and advocate for equity and inclusion in my career field.
Throughout my college career, I have chosen to input myself in environments that promote equity and inclusion. I have also made it an effort to join organizations that focus on this as well. Currently, I serve as the social media manager for the Diversity and Inclusion Student Council. Other organizations that I am affiliated with include the National Society for Black Engineers, the NAACP, Engineering Career Awareness Program, which is a program designed for the success of minority engineer students, along with a few other organizations.
I believe that when you have a workspace that includes a diverse group of people, it makes for an environment of diverse thought. Equity and inclusion is described as “policies and programs that promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals, including people of different ages, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations.” You can have so many different perspectives on one situation when equity and inclusion is fostered. Every individual lives with their own experiences just based on the community that they are a part of alone. So, this can be very beneficial in a professional setting.
Hard Working
Sometimes I believe I am either working hard or not working hard enough. It is something that I have pondered and continue to ponder about constantly. I grew up under the impression that you can’t always expect to reach your goals without putting in the work necessary, but when you do, hard work pays off. Despite my doubts of myself and the work I have put in to paving my journey towards success, I know that in actuality, I am indeed a hard worker. I have aspirations in life, and with my determination and diligence, I plan to fulfill them.
As one can probably figure, engineering can be a difficult major to study. It is not one of those degrees that you can earn just by gliding through. From first hand experience, I can count on one hand the number of times I understood absolutely everything that was discussed in a lecture or that I read in a textbook. However, I do not let this discourage me anymore, but rather be motivation to put in extra effort.
As an example, during my sophomore year at the University of Arkansas I was having a hard time in one particular class. In this class I felt like I was the only one who wasn’t quite grasping the idea of the content. Because of this feeling, I made efforts to push myself by doing extra work and reaching out for help from peers and the professor. I worked hard to persevere through that course, and that same perseverance is something that I aim to imbed into my everyday life.
