Announcements

Why did you choose Mānoa?

I chose UH Mānoa because the school offers a broad range of engineering disciplines, allowing students to explore and develop expertise in their chosen area of interest. There are also many opportunities to build your professional network, and I knew I was interested in making a difference in our own community when I graduated. At first, I didn’t know exactly what type of engineering I was interested in– but through the years of taking classes, meeting classmates, and speaking to professors, I found my path in Electrical Engineering. Getting involved in opportunities within my chosen field has truly been the most exciting part of my college experience!

What opportunities have you had while at Mānoa?
A great opportunity I had as an underclassman was taking part in a summer program led by the Native Hawaiian Science & Engineering Mentorship Program (NHSEMP) at UH Mānoa. This was an excellent first internship experience: I had great mentors who taught me a lot about circuits, programming, and PCB design, and I got to present the project at a symposium at UH Mānoa at the end of the summer. As an upperclassman, I enjoyed working at Hawai’i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI), a research unit of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at UH Mānoa. This opportunity gave me the chance to see what it’s like to work in a professional engineering work environment. While working here, my supervisor and I published our research, and I even got to speak at an international conference which felt like a once in a lifetime experience!

In the College of Engineering, there are many Vertically Integrated Projects to join that give you the opportunity to work with a team of undergraduate and graduate students, with the guidance of a faculty mentor. For my capstone design project, I joined the Smart Campus Energy Lab and found that it was a great way to get out of the classroom and have a hands-on learning experience with electronics. I learned a lot about PCB design, building circuits, and the relationship between the software and hardware that we used. During my experience I also got to know my fellow classmates better which was a lot of fun!

What engineering organizations are you involved in?

I’m involved with Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) which is an International Honor Society club at UH Mānoa for Electrical and Computer Engineering students. We tutor underclassmen in electrical engineering courses and also participate in community service activities.

How has Mānoa prepared you to work in the industry?

UH Mānoa prepared me to work in the industry in many different ways. The curriculum gave me a great foundation, and there are many knowledgeable professors to learn from. Speaking to professors, having an engineering related internship, and working on projects with other students taught me how to communicate and problem solve in a professional manner. The College of Engineering regularly hosts events with guest speakers from the industry, and network opportunities to meet with recruiters from engineering companies. There is also a College of Engineering Career Fair that is held every semester which gives students the opportunity to meet face-to-face with recruiters whether you’re interested in a summer internship or a career after graduation. Personally, this event really helped me since meeting a recruiter in-person is much more valuable than just submitting an application online. Also, the Mānoa Career Center offers career workshops every semester for resume building and interview preparation.

How has Mānoa prepared you to work successfully on a team?

At UH Mānoa, there were many lab courses and upper-level project based courses where I was required to work in group projects. I personally enjoyed ECE438: Renewable Energy, and ECE480: Introduction to Biomedical and Clinical Engineering in which our groups were tasked with creating a design for a renewable energy power system and a medical instrumentation device. Being involved in a VIP project was also a great way to learn how to work in a group setting with other students. I learned that it takes practice, patience, and the ability to adapt in order to work with different group dynamics, but it can be rewarding when you and your teammates bring your unique strengths and perspectives to the project!

Any advice or words of encouragement for incoming first-year engineering students

There are many different recipes for success! Be open to different solutions to help yourself achieve the goals that you have, especially if that means getting out of your comfort zone and finding the courage to network with other students, faculty, and potential employers. Be kind to yourself and to your other classmates. Also, accountability is important but don’t turn it into self-limiting beliefs about yourself. The most important thing is to get back up and keep going!