Practicum Review
ENES 190H
1. For my practicum, I completed the course ENES190H-Â Introduction to Design and Quality. ENES190H is the introductory course in the QUEST honors program, a three year multidisciplinary program that allows students to complete experiential learning projects and gain unique teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. ENES190H is centered around two team projects, one product design project and one consulting project for a department at the University of Maryland.Â
2. One thing I was able to take away from my practicum is how to understand customer's needs and make sure they are met. Most of my major related classes are very problem solving heavy and do not enable interactions with outside clients. Through QUEST, I have been able to develop the important skills of working with others and understanding how to deliver a sound set of recommendations to a client based on their original wants and needs.
3. As I previously said, ENES190H enabled me to grow as a student because I was experiencing an entirely different type of learning than I was used to. In addition, I was able to become a stronger leader due to the nature of our group work in the class. We were put in groups at the beginning of the semester and we worked with our groups for the entirety of the semester. I really liked this because at the beginning of the semester, I did not know anyone in my group and I ended the semester with a deep understanding of my group members and what made each of them a successful member of the team. In certain parts of the semester, I was able to emerge as the leader on my team and make sure we were all contributing to the project and supporting each other whenever possible. At the bottom of this section, you will find the link to my team's final poster for our client at the end of last semester. I am including it because it is work I am really proud of and I believe completing this project made me a better student and team member.
Future Plans
1. I will be able to continue to use the skills I have learned in ENES190H in the rest of my QUEST classes and other projects at the University of Maryland. In addition, my experience with satisfying customer needs will help me at my internship with Clark Construction this summer.Â
2. I plan to spend the rest of my time at the University of Maryland involving myself in things that I feel passionate about and love doing. I hope to be able to use my knowledge of leadership to help me succeed in exec positions in clubs I am a part of. Academically, I plan to continue taking my studies very seriously and plan to secure another internship the summer after my junior year so I am able to get as much unique work experience as possible before picking what career field I want to work in after I graduate. In terms of post-grad plans, I still am not sure of what field I want to go in. I have really enjoyed my time spent consulting with QUEST and I look forward to exploring the construction industry this summer. I do know I am definitely interested in a career that is not all engineering because I enjoy interacting with teammates and clients. This has led me to always want to get my MBA a few years after I graduate.Â
3. Being able to share my experiences with Public Leadership and QUEST will hopefully help me narrow down what kind of career I am looking to have and make me a valuable addition to any team I hope to be a part of. Attached below is my updated resume and my PL elevator pitch.