EECS students attend National NSBE Convention – Come back psyched

Five students attended the 2014 Annual Convention of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and came back excited about their career and newly connected to many professionals in the field.

Dwight Williams, a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering, attended the convention looking for opportunities and advice as he readies himself for the start of his professional career. According to Williams, “Going to the NSBE convention opened many doors for me. From learning more about venture capital to what it takes to make myself a competitive applicant for graduate studies, I learned it all during my time at the national NSBE convention.”

The Convention offers leadership development, summer internship opportunities, numerous networking activities, and professional development workshops. It’s an opportunity for students to broaden their perspectives of the engineering profession while they network with students and professionals from across the United States and the world.

Dyona Tate, an undergraduate in Computer Engineering and participant in the Atlanta University Center Dual Degree Engineering Program, said that, “seeing 9,000 other African-American engineering students all in one place was extremely motivating.” She enjoyed meeting up with old friends, making new friends, and networking with recruiters.

Karl Henderson, a junior studying computer science, has been active as a leader in NBSE, serving on the junior executive board and recently on the executive board as the Finance Chair. At the convention, he was elected NSBE Region IV Finance Chairperson.  “Memories like these will never fade!” said Karl. “I created so many close bonds with people in my own chapter as well as others, that I truly feel a sense of family and community within NSBE.”

Emmanuel Gansallo, a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering, attended the conference to learn more about the intersection of engineering and its real world implications. He enjoyed several professional development workshops, saying, “One particular workshop that stood out to me was a consulting workshop. The speaker at this event explained the different ways you can market yourself in such a competitive industry.”

The topic of this year’s Annual Convention, it’s 40th, was “Engineering and Leadership in Harmony.” The EECS Department, and generous alumni, helped fund their trip.