A life-changing trip abroad
There hasn’t been a day since boarding the international flight back to the states from Barcelona that stories from my trip haven’t been brought up in conversation. From talking about food and culture with friends, to discussing engineering topics in my classes, I always find myself relating everything I do to the experiences I obtained in Morocco and Spain. I am pretty sure all friends, family and colleagues around me know exactly what I did this summer since they’ve been hearing about it since I got back.
One specific instance where I was able to use the knowledge I gained for the trip was during my term project presentation for my Earth Systems Engineering Management class that I completed during the second half of the summer after I returned. There were many topics to choose from for this term project, but obviously I chose the one to do with the sustainability of concentrating solar power (a key aspect of my trip). My professor stressed that all photos used during the presentations need to be cited for the person who took them. He was really surprised to see my name under each photo during my presentation. This ignited a conversation of interest that led to my entire project presentation, which was supposed to be technical, becoming just a storytelling time about all the visitations to solar power plants during my trip.
All the exposure to the solar power plants in Morocco and Spain has sparked a new interest in my career goals. Being able to talk to the engineers on each site, allowed me to gain a whole new appreciation of the work that they do. Every day I open my laptop to a background picture of me standing next to one of the parabolic troughs at the NOOR solar power plant. I think to myself all the time that I look like I belong there. With all this in mind and with recommendations from colleagues and professors, after them noticing my interest in solar power, I have decided to apply to the professional masters program in solar engineering and commercialization here at Arizona State. I am on track right now to graduate with a degree in civil engineering this May, and if all goes well, it won’t be the last time I sit in an ASU classroom! I can honestly say that my experiences in Morocco and Spain have inspired me to create bigger and better goals in my life and to work to become a solar energy engineer.
I am beyond grateful to have received this opportunity. If it were not for the School and Sustainability, the Walton Initiative, and my two amazing professors Dr. Parmentier and Dr. Moore, my life would be a tad bit different right now. If you were to ask me last year at this time, whether I thought I would be experiencing the things that I did, I would have said you were out of your mind. I would recommend it to everyone, if you have a goal or slight interest in something, to go out and attack it. By letting your interest and goals be known, opportunities can be discovered; and it is these opportunities that you will never forget.