When I came to campus as a freshman and went to the campus involvement fair, I put my name down on countless email lists of clubs and activities that sounded interesting. I had no idea of what I wanted to do, but I figured if I tried everything that I was bound to like at least one of them. Luckily I ended up getting involved in a lot of amazing things, but one thing I’ve stuck with over the years is Engineers Without Borders, or EWB.
EWB is an international organization of engineers who hope to create change by doing volunteer work and research across the globe. The USC chapter participates in both local and international projects of their own. Currently we are working on a local project in Coachella, California, only a couple of hours away from campus. We are working with the locals to create a community space for them from scratch, which would include a playground and a building for meetings to be held. It’s a lot of work, but it’s an amazingly rewarding experience to be able to help so many people.
Not only is EWB an awesome experience that really makes me feel like I’m giving back, but it also allows me to make great friendships with engineers at USC that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. It also is a great networking experience, as we host guest speakers from the area and work with local companies on our project. We attend conferences at well, which are wonderful opportunities to make connections within the LA engineering community.
EWB has been a great experience for me in my years at USC, and I’m looking forward to getting more involved during this year! Hopefully as the Coachella project moves forward, I’ll have updates to post!
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