Today marks the start of the 65th Annual National Engineer's Week (Feb 21-27).  This week is intended to celebrate how engineers make a difference throughout the world, increase the awareness for the need for engineers in the future, bring the engineering discipline to life for kids, and host a week-long marathon of engineering events to garner interest throughout the year.

A profession near and dear to my own heart, engineering is something I have always been interested in.  Both my father and grandfather are engineers, and aside from some fleeting interests in being a dinosaur wrangler, engineering has always been my calling.  Taking ideas from initial thoughts and sketches, through design, manufacturing, and finally practical use is one of the most rewarding things I do every day.  As many have said before, the work I do every day isn't so much work, as it is fun and rewarding.  Every day presents a new challenge to tackle.

The engineering discipline spans so many industries and there are very few products or services out there that an engineer has not touched at some point.  This diversity and breadth is one of the things I enjoy promoting any time I return to campus for career fairs or info sessions on engineering.

For any parents out there with children considering engineering, continue to push them to expand their efforts through things like Science Olympiad, Junior Engineering Technical Society, FirstRobotics, etc.  Once they reach the university level, remember that on-the-job experience through internships and co-ops is critical not only to market oneself for full-time positions, but also for helping them learn what sides of the engineering discipline they enjoy.  No student is too young to start looking for a position, because engineers above all else, are problem solvers.  Do not let simply being a freshman or early sophomore temper their confidence.  Working through a career fair takes practice, and no matter when they start, take the opportunity to learn what it takes to stand out in a career fair.

Thanks to all engineers out there doing great work, every day, and making the impossible, possible.

Ohio State, BSME, 2010

Cincinnati, MSAE, 2013

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

TL;DR Engineers are great.  Don't be a dinosaur wrangler.