Changing the Message
When engineers talk about engineering to students or the public (and we don’t do this enough), we frequently deliver wrong messages. How many of us have said, “It’s a very tough degree” or “You really need to be good in math and science,” or my personal favorite, “Only one in three who start in engineering will graduate with an engineering degree”? I know I’m guilty!
NSPE and other engineering groups, through the National Academy of Engineering, are trying to change those messages, and we need your help to spread the word. Four key messages have been crafted to properly portray engineering in the 21st century. They are:
- “Engineers make a world of difference.”
- “Engineers are creative problem-solvers.”
- “Engineers help shape the future.”
- “Engineering is essential to our health, happiness and safety.”
Students today are not intimidated by a rigorous math and science curriculum. What they are learning in high school rivals some of our college content. And we don’t stoop over a desk all day every day with multi-color pens and a calculator strapped to our belt, contemplating abstract problems that don’t appear to have relevance in today’s world. So, why don’t we talk about how cool it is to be an engineer? There aren’t many days that I don’t look forward to going to work. The environment, especially water resources, is my career. It’s also my passion. How many of us can say that?
Join me in changing the message so future generations will know how cool engineering really is and how essential it is to our society. After all, we have engineers because “dreams need doing.”