Women in Engineering
Engineering as a springboard to other opportunities Paul J. Heney • Vice President, Editorial Director
Sometimes, life directions can change with a chance conversation or unexpected opportunity. Danielle Lower said she fell into engineering in a completely unintentional way. When she enrolled in university her freshman year, Lower said she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. “I listed metallurgical engineering as my major at the recommendation of a friend who was recruiting for the department. They had a good amount of scholarship funding available and not enough student interest. I figured it would be a good way to receive some financial support and try a few math classes until I figured out what I really wanted to do. I had always been good at math, so I figured that whatever I ended up selecting as a major would be math oriented. As I got into the program’s course work, I found that I really loved the challenge. Engineering courses are hard, and I think more than anything I wanted to prove to myself that I could graduate with an engineering degree, even if I still wasn’t sure what I would do upon graduation. I later switched my major to mechanical engineering because I felt that it would offer a wider range of possible career opportunities in the future. While I was uncertain in my decision at the time, I am glad that I stuck with engineering for where it has led me.
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10/19/21 8:13 AM
