Thayne Covert '23: Social Consciousness

Inspiring the next generation through STEM: How Volunteering Builds Well-Rounded Engineers

 Engineering is not just about solving technical problems; it is also about using those solutions to serve humanity. I have been exposed to and dived deep into understanding this message as a member of the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP). GCSP is a curricular, extra-curricular, and co-curricular program designed to develop students into well-rounded individuals ready to tackle the challenges that humanity will face in the coming decades. Students complete the program by fulfilling 5 competencies in the categories of multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, business, talent, and social consciousness. My chosen challenge for GCSP is “Engineering the Tools for Scientific Discovery”, and in this essay I will be discussing my social consciousness competency.

 Service is an essential aspect of GCSP as it aligns with the goal briefly mentioned earlier of becoming a well-rounded student. Being able to tackle complex challenges in any context effectively requires students to develop a sense of social consciousness and empathy towards others while also enhancing their professional skills. Before taking part in the GCSP, I had let the social consciousness aspect of my life fall behind my own professional development, and it wasn’t until GCSP pushed me out of my comfort zone did I put any focus on (and realize the value) of service towards others.  During my time at the University of Portland (UP), my involvement in service activities particularly consisted of involvement with the University of Portland Robotics Team (UPR) and a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Outreach portion of the NASA Lunabotics competition. This competition is described in greater detail in my Talent competency essay, but in short, the NASA Lunabotics competition is a robotics competition where students from various universities around the country design and build a robot for competition in a simulated lunar environment. Beyond this (and more important to this essay), students are also graded on a final design report and participation in STEM outreach activities for students in local communities. Through service with UPR, I was able to see the impact that I can have on the community around UP, and how important it is to support the next generation of engineers.

 Since I joined the University of Portland's robotics team as a freshman, I have been involved with UPR’s STEM outreach programs. During my early years with the team before the Covid-19 pandemic, I had little involvement in outreach activities due to my lack of experience. However, I participated in a STEM Day on campus where we hosted middle and high school students from the Portland community, which allowed me to get a taste of what was involved in STEM outreach. When the pandemic hit, everything changed and the entire structure for STEM outreach had to be scrapped. Transitioning to the new online reality of the world, our outreach efforts shifted to fully virtual and asynchronous demonstrations of STEM projects to K-12 students. Through these videos, I got the opportunity to explain concepts such as gears, projectile motion, and combustion through fun projects. As in-person volunteering became safe again, I began to participate more actively in outreach efforts by volunteering in-person every Saturday with a local organization called Building Blocks 2 Success (BB2S). BB2S aims to inspire youth interest in STEM by serving those from underrepresented communities and lower socioeconomic situations. With this organization, I had the opportunity to mentor/coach middle school students from around Portland in FIRST Lego League Robotics competition. Helping to instill a love of engineering in the next generation is an inspiring mission. Through these experiences, I have learned how rewarding it is to give back to the community and inspire young minds.

What I have learned through fulfilling the social consciousness talent of GCSP has been invaluable, both in terms of technical skills and personal growth. Through producing demo videos for STEM outreach programs, I was able to get hands on and learn video production skills like building a DIY studio with 3-point lighting setup and editing using standard software like Premiere Pro. Furthermore, I was able to get an introduction to higher lever skills like recording separate audio and video tracks.

 However, my involvement with social consciousness taught me much more than just technical skills. It was a catalyst for personal growth and allowed me to stretch way out of my comfort zone. Prior to this experience, I had never worked with students or children before. But by volunteering as a mentor for middle school aged students, I was able to see the direct impact I could make in inspiring young people interested in STEM. I quickly learned the importance of regularly showing up and making an impact on their lives. I saw how my words and actions could inspire them to work harder and to achieve their goals. This experience helped me to understand how big of an impact one person can make, and it allowed me to see firsthand the importance of having empathy for others and making a difference in the lives of others.

 As I reflect on my experience with STEM outreach and mentorship with BB2S in particular, I see how it aligns with the goals of GCSP. The program aims to develop well-rounded students who are not only competent in their fields but also socially conscious and empathetic towards others. By volunteering and working with young students, I learned how to be a mentor and the impact that one person can make on the lives of others. It gave me an opportunity to slow down and entirely focus on educating others (which is something I wouldn’t do otherwise). These skills are not only important for personal development but are also crucial for my development professionally as an engineer. As an engineer following my specific challenge of “Engineering the Tools for Scientific Discovery”, I will have the power to create solutions that can serve humanity and make a positive impact on the world, and it is important that I understand the social responsibility of the profession. Volunteering for my GCSP competency helped me with this, and I have gained a new perspective that will be invaluable going forward throughout my life.