On Friday, November 1, 2013, ESD hosted a group of students from Von Steuben High School to shadow our engineers and learn more about the industry.
The participating students are currently enrolled in Project Lead the Way engineering classes, in which they are exposed to the major concepts they’ll encounter in a post-secondary engineering course of study. This program gives the students access to engineering tools and software (AudoDesk Inventor) at an early age, and our engineers were impressed with their ability to quickly learn Revit.
During their visit, the students asked a lot of questions about what it takes to be an engineer. They were curious about an engineer’s daily responsibilities, ESD’s most exciting projects, and what it took for each of our engineers to get where they are today. We discussed how to select the right colleges and programs, and how to position themselves for future success in the industry.
The students’ visit synchronized with one of ESD’s most popular in-house events, the Annual 9-hole Putt-Putt Tournament. Each Halloween-themed miniature golf hole is designed and built by ESD employees within the corridors of our office. Our putt-putt tournament consists of two days of golfing, followed by the Championship Round which the visiting students witnessed on Friday. “This was a great example of the social aspects of engineering,” said Shadow Day coordinator and ESD engineer Nandan Chokshi. “The students were excited to see a unique way we celebrate our trade.”
Overall, our Shadow Day with the students of Von Steuben High School was a great success, and our engineers enjoyed witnessing their enthusiasm and interest. We look forward to continuing the tradition next year.