Choosing to become a transportation engineer was a decision that I never thought I would make in my life, but a series of events in the past few years led me to this decision. When I decided to become an engineer as a 10 year old child, I based my decision on two factors: solving math problems and avoid writing papers. Solving math problems wasn't the issue. Up until high school, I thought engineers would not have to write any reports and papers, but learning through my undergraduate years at UC Berkeley, the idea started to break down as I continue to write project reports and research papers for my engineering classes.
Throughout my undergraduate studies, I thought my goal was to always become a structural engineer, but once I took my first transportation engineer course, it didn't take long before I can say to myself that transportation engineering is another civil engineering discipline I can pursue. In the end, I decided to continue pursuing structural engineering, but always had transportation engineering in the back of my mind. Once I graduated with my Bachelor of Science Degree in May 2009, I thought I was content with becoming a structural engineer, but with the downturn of the US economy, I took the time to volunteer with different organizations and to re-evaluate my own goals.
Through my observations of the streets surrounding the elementary school I volunteered with, I realized that there are ways I can help improve and help our community. The best way I can help our community is through learning and taking courses in transportation engineering and not structural engineering. Don't get me wrong, structural engineering improves our community through safer and stronger infrastructures, but I believe transportation engineers are improving our community directly. Whether it is making roadway improvements or providing safer roads for pedestrian and bicyclists, the eventual outcome will immediately impact the road users who use the transportation facility. Even though my decision to become a transportation engineer came from being a volunteer at an elementary school, I never regreted that decision. As long as I have the motivation and determination to be the best transportation engineer I can be, I will eventually find an organization, especially the public sector, where I can use my skills to improve the community.