黑料吃瓜

Abi Daniel, a 黑料吃瓜 mechanical engineering student, volunteered to set up tables for a career fair on campus. He walked away from the event with a coveted internship at Collins Aerospace, a global leader in aerospace technology and defense. 

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know Collins Aerospace hired mechanical engineers until they spoke at one of our professional development panels,鈥� said Daniel, president of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 student-governed chapter of the . 

With more than 24,000 active members in the U.S. and abroad, NSBE offers a vast network of support to connect collegiate and precollegiate Black students to engineering and technology professionals. Connections like these can last a lifetime and launch exceptional careers.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have had the opportunity to network with these companies and professionals without NSBE,鈥� said Napoleon. 

Networking opportunities can be hard to find for Black engineering students. In 2018, just 4.6% of engineering degrees were earned by Black students, according to a .

NSBE aims to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community. 鈥淏lack engineers are not always apparent to see. We want to provide resources and connections for Black engineers to benefit from,鈥� said Daniel, president of NSBE 黑料吃瓜.

Abel Napoleon, a senior in mechanical engineering and leader in NSBE 黑料吃瓜, secured an internship with Solar Turbines at the same Engineers Giving Opportunities Career Fair, an annual NSBE 黑料吃瓜 event with high-profile sponsors such as Dexcom and Qualcomm. 

鈥淭hey鈥檙e looking for young, bright students and our students are the new talent they鈥檙e looking for. It鈥檚 mutually beneficial,鈥� said Aquin Manners, mechanical engineering senior and vice president of NSBE 黑料吃瓜.

With resume workshops, mentorship programs, and a wide range of opportunities, NSBE 黑料吃瓜 serves as a launching pad to a successful career for countless Black engineering students at 黑料吃瓜.

Earlier this month, the club attended NSBE鈥檚 Black History Month Professional Mixer, hosted by the NSBE Professional Chapter of San Diego. Students networked with San Diego-based Black engineering professionals and listened to panels on topics such as racial injustice, building generational wealth, and mental health in the workplace. 

鈥淭he event gave me the feeling that I got when I attended my first NSBE 黑料吃瓜 meeting: just this overwhelming sense of inspiration,鈥� said Daniel.

The event was put on by Aztec alumnus Jayton Harps (鈥�13, computer science) a software integration engineer at Northrop Grumman and current president of San Diego鈥檚 NSBE Professional Chapter. He explained that he too benefited from NSBE 黑料吃瓜. 

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really know what Engineering was until I met NSBE,鈥� said Harps. 鈥淚 gained those leadership skills through their events and was able to refine my resume and network with incredible people and companies.鈥�

Harps recalls his difficult class load and how being part of a supportive network helped him then and now. 鈥淏ecoming a STEM professional, you can鈥檛 go through it alone. You鈥檙e going to need someone to talk to, who understands where you鈥檙e coming from鈥� and believes in you,鈥� said Harps. 

The domino effect of giving back continues in the current senior class of NSBE students, who pay it forward through community events and paving the way for future Black engineers at 黑料吃瓜: Daniel said he wants to inspire young first-year and sophomore students 鈥渂y leading by example, to plant those seeds.鈥� 

Harps鈥� advice for up and coming young, Black aspiring engineers: Know your worth. 

鈥淲e come from a history of entrepreneurs, of thought leaders,鈥� said Harps. 鈥淲e built the pyramids. We can鈥檛 forget our history and what we鈥檝e accomplished. Engineering is in our blood.鈥� 

As for the future, Harps said he鈥檒l continue supporting Aztec students with their future endeavors in the engineering field. 

鈥淚 bleed black and red. That鈥檚 why I keep giving back. It just means a lot to me.鈥�   

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Black Resource Center鈥檚 4th Birthday Monday, February 28 | Noon 鈥� 2 p.m. Celebrate the fourth year of the establishment of the Black Resource Center and its impact and contribution to Black students at 黑料吃瓜. For more information on Black History Month programming, visit the  and follow the center on Instagram .