The Carleton Chapter of Engineers Without Borders is showcasing diversity this month through their Humans of GE (Global Engineering and Entrepreneurship) social media page in celebration of National Engineering Month.
Inspired by Humans of New York, the page promotes global engineering and entrepreneurship through storytelling. The page posts portraits of students in the engineering community, accompanied by a short quote from the person featured.
Hannah Zhang is the vice president of global engineering at EWB Carleton and organizer of HOGE. She said the page has been in the works since late January, and approximately five photos are posted per day.
“Global engineering is a multidisciplinary approach, and that is what EWB at the national level advocates for because today’s problems are more complex,” she said. “We need to work together to solve these problems . . . We have stories not just of engineering students, but also professionals talk about their stories.”
“We got one of the founding members of Doctors Without Borders to talk about what does the term ‘without borders’ meant to him,” she said.
The page has gotten national recognition from the Engineers Without Borders Canada, which is a national organization dedicated to making a difference by combining humanitarian assistance with engineering and design. They create social change by “supporting social innovations in Canada and Africa” to eliminate poverty.
Zheng says the national organization has retweeted and given shout outs to the Carleton chapter for their innovative approach to promotion.
“By doing this I’ve realized the stories of these people are amazing—it’s been a great learning process for me as well.” Zhang said.
Engineers of Tomorrow, a venture within Engineers With Borders Canada, looks to inspire young engineers and promote diversity. Erica Lee-Garcia is the lead for the venture, and has been one of the supporters of the HOGE.
“I love that they’re following something that is trendy and popular, it is a great example of story telling,” Lee-Garcia said. “Most of us have gotten that engineers don’t really talk about themselves, but it still portrays their accomplishments in a humble way. It is in line with our values but still catchy.”
Jonique Gardien, a first-year architecture conservation and sustainable design engineering student, is featured on the page, and is an active member of Engineers Without Borders Carleton.
“The more people you have siting in a room who are from different backgrounds, sharing different perspectives, they tackle the problem a lot more efficiently,” she said. “The more people are comfortable in their own zone of knowledge, the more outspoken they will be and the more confident they are in their knowledge.
“I feel that everyone shares their knowledge because they know they are all coming from different backgrounds . . . you’re not competing, but you’re shy when you’re in a room filled with people that you think might know more than you on the same topic. If you’re all knowledgeable on a different topic, you’re braver,” she said.
The initiative is only planned to continue for National Engineering Month, but Zhang said it could continue.
“Diversity in engineering is a strength,” Zhang said.
