Education Must Meet the Challenge

Two recent events made me mad! At first these happenings might not seem related, or even have anything to do with college admissions. So, please bear with me. The first was the oil leak in the Gulf. As of today, we are up to the seventh plan for stopping the oil leak. Engineers are trying to cut off the pipe and then lower a dome over it in the hopes of containing the oil.

The second, I have actually seen again and again. It is not limited to a particular high school or to a certain region of the country. I recently met with a student who excels in math and science who had no idea what he wants to do after graduating from college. That did not bother me. Rising high school seniors often do not, and probably should not, know this. I became angry, not at the student, but at our system, when upon suggesting to the student that he consider engineering as a career, it became apparent the he had never thought about engineering. Further, no one at his school, no teacher or counselor, had ever mentioned engineering. Not only did he have no idea about the different types of engineering, he really did not know what engineering is.

Are you beginning to see the link? Engineers apply the principles and theories of science and math to technical problems. By doing so, they find solutions. The tragedy in the Gulf reflects the failure of a challenging and very difficult engineering project. In a broader sense, it highlights the critical need for the "best and the brightest" to step up to the real challenges our nation faces. By encouraging excellent math and science students to think about engineering we will be doing our country a service. It is very important for high school teachers and counselors to spur excellent science and math students to think about studying engineering.

Marilyn G.S. Emerson, M.S.W., CEP