The classroom is great, but there’s no better educator than experience.
Six students from the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering participated in the 48th Annual Convention of the National Society of Black Engineers, which was held March 23-27 in Anaheim, California. The group attended workshops, took part in a career fair, and expanded their network by meeting and interacting with engineers from around the country.
“We had a three-two-one plan at the convention,” said Lamara Warren, assistant dean of diversity an inclusion at the Luddy School and one of the mentors for the group. “We wanted to attend sessions and bring back three programming ideas, make two connections through networking, and create one overall vision for the IU chapter of NSBE. The students did that and a lot more, and it was a great experience.”
IU’s NSBE chapter was founded in 2015 and is still relatively small, but attending the convention inspired students and provided an example for what the chapter could one day become.
“NSBE is a place that feels like a family,” said Xandria McDowell, the first Black graduate from Luddy’s B.S. in Intelligent Systems Engineering program who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in ISE. “Everyone is rooting for each other, and we only want to see everyone succeed. To see so many people who look like you and are doing the same thing is powerful. Seeing successful Black engineers in the field showed me that not only can I do it, but I could continue to dream. Going to the convention made me realize that it wasn't just an idea anymore but reality and made my vision possible. It made me open my mind to reimagine and remind me that I belong here, too.”
Attending the convention paid off for McDowell in another way. During the career fair, she interviewed with Boeing and has received a full-time job offer from the aviation giant.
“I believe this convention helped me with my confidence,” McDowell said. “Something about seeing people who looked like me in the field that made me feel like I belonged. My experience at the convention shaped me going forward because it allowed me to see myself in this field and widened my network so I can succeed in my field.”
Another Luddy attendee, Daniel Olofinkua, took the first steps toward his tomorrow during the career fair. The sophmore computer science major also interviewed with Boeing, earning an offer of an internship.
“The NSBE convention was a great learning experience,” Olofinkua said. “I networked and made connections with individuals who can help me throughout my career. The conference also allowed me to get insights from people of color within my field of study. What impressed me the most was the status of the companies at the convention. I never thought that I would be able to speak to companies of that caliber.”
The convention allowed the IU NSBE chapter to connect with other chapters in the state of Indiana, and the group came back with hopes of collaborating with chapters at Purdue University, IUPUI, and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. IU chapter president Austin Bond met with the presidents from those more-established chapters to discuss opportunities to work together in the future.
“The connections and contacts from the convention exposed me to new ideas,” Bond said. “It also allows me to teach others about the convention and how to make the most of NSBE and its opportunities. I can help guide people who want to join NSBE to find success.”
The IU chapter hopes to take a bigger role in the convention next year.
“The University of Missouri had a huge contingent there, and they’re hosting next year’s convention in Kansas City,” Warren said. “Since we’re all from the same region, the schools in Indiana are willing to help, and it can be great exposure for students to get involved on a national and regional level.”
Warren expects the NSBE convention to have a lasting impact on the attendees.
“It was a piece of the puzzle that was missing," Warren said. "Before, they were confident, but they didn't know exactly what they were confident in doing or in being. Going to the NSBE convention showed them they are part of something that is bigger than themselves. Seeing so many professionals who look like them and have found success allows them to see the bigger picture and how they can fit into that picture. They have the confidence to succeed as an engineer because they saw people and made connections that will encourage them going forward. It was amazing for them.”