I think I always enjoyed math. Both of my parents are educators at the high school and graduate level, so I distinctly remember having to go through math and read textbooks over the summer so that I wouldn’t fall behind by the time school started back up in the fall. Usually within the first two weeks of the summer break, I would finish the entire math book.

I found math easy in that I was able to make logical sense of it; it was never abstract nor did it force me to make random assumptions. Math was just another way to explain the truth and make sense of the world.

I don’t recall there being STEM extracurriculars in my middle school, but I was involved in Science Olympiad and Envirothon (E3) in high school. 

With my love of math, I also enjoyed understanding how things work. If anything at home was broken, my parents would let me try to fix it; they enabled me to learn how to problem solve on my own, which paved the way for my love of engineering. Engineering is simply the process of using math and science to solve problems. My brother has a degree in systems engineering, and my father has worked in IT engineering. So, I had great role models growing up, too.

Despite this left-brain dominance, I have always been quite passionate about the natural environment. Combining these two interests, I have wanted to be an environmental engineer for as long as I can remember, using engineering practices to combat climate change and generally make the world a better place. Obviously, this is a high aspiration, but I’ve tailored my entire education and career path to align with this goal since middle school.

Like any journey, the path was never hard coded in that I know where I want to be and what major milestones I want to achieve, but the stepping stones to get there have been quite fluid—and as it should be, because you can learn from every experience!

My current job title is Autonomous Systems Engineer. At my company, we have the privilege to work on many different projects at the same time, so I am rarely doing the same thing every day across projects or within one project. Based on what I’ve been doing recently, I would explain my job as: designing and prototyping small (<100 lbs) robotic platforms as well as providing technical expertise in electrical energy grid systems and microgrids.

I don’t always use high-caliber math at my job, but when I am designing something new or generating system recommendations as an energy expert, I do utilize math and science principles. For example, if I am designing a new robotic system, I need to follow the laws of physics, which can be represented as math at a fundamental level, to ensure that the battery I am using can power the entire robot, including all the motors, onboard computers and auxiliary sensors such as cameras. Other times, I need to provide mathematical models to demonstrate how a system should be working. As another example, I made calculations on how solar panels that I designed would charge and discharge and how much power they could give to another system that needed it.

Even when my tasks at work do not directly involve using math (like adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing), my understanding of math and engineering concepts make it easier to problem solve. Sure, math includes numbers (sometimes), but it is also a way of thinking. Based on what I am given, how can I either make changes to get the answer that I want or use defined changes to get a specific answer? This can look like: a sponsor/customer telling me that they want X, Y, Z (the answer); I currently have A, B, C (what I am given); so, then I need to come up with a solution (make changes) to help the sponsor/customer.

My favorite part about my current job is that I get to problem solve, and I don’t have to resolve the same problem every day. Because I get to work on so many different projects, all on different topics, I am constantly learning. This prevents me from getting bored, too!

In early 2023, an individual at my job sent a mass email to all employees asking for volunteers for the local MATHCOUNTS competition. Having loved math as a kid, I decided to help as a grader, and I did the same thing this year. Last year, there weren’t any student volunteers, but I did appreciate getting to talk to a few students this year. It is also encouraging to see young students who are excited about math. I see them as future engineers, scientists and world-changers. I don’t think it’s right to hoard your lessons learned; you should share it with the next person or next generation. This is why I enjoy being a mentor.

I have so much advice for students interested in pursuing a career in STEM, but if I had to narrow it down, it would be:

A job in STEM is not cut and dry. Look at the world around you. Nature can be understood in a STEM job, and it can be applied in what we create such as medicine in healthcare or designs in our built environment. Everything made in our built environment, from cars to buildings to your cellphone, was made by someone with a STEM (or STEAM) job. You can create anything, and anything is possible...your limit is your imagination.