While I was fueling my car, I started a random conversation with a person fueling their vehicle on the other side of the pump. Recall, I am Canadian, so talking to strangers is something I do. Out of the blue, this individual pointed at at my junky car and asked me a funny question,
"Do you know how this engine works?"
I was struck silent by the unexpected inquiry. This, soon to be realized, student engineer from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, then proceeded to sketch the Carnot theoretical cycle in the frost on my windshield and to explain the benefit of materials engineering to increase the engine's maximum operating temperature.
I was hooked. Applied science to impact society! I had never met an engineer in my life, but that evening I realized that,
I was an engineer!
But, I had work to do, so that week I made an appointment to visit the guidance counselor at Leduc Composite High School. It took only a quick check of my grades to prompt the terse response,
"University is not for everyone, Michael"
That statement hit me like a tonne of bricks. I was mad, scared and suddenly, very motivated. I realized that I needed to make big changes in my life. I immediately informed my employer that I would have to significantly cut my hours. I made a lot of sacrifices with less money, but I knew it was worth it. As a result, I was able to stay awake in school and have the time to complete the homework. I graduated with grades sufficient for acceptance at the University of Alberta in an engineering B.Sc.
At the University of Alberta, I felt at home!
I was surrounded by so many interesting peers and amazing faculty. I caught fire and graduated #1 in my Engineering Class (receiving the APEGA Gold Medal). It was hard, I went hungry sometimes and often I couldn’t afford my books. I struggled to pay rent, tuition, and everything else! There was always help, for example, great professors, and a wealthy brother-in-law that helped out with loans at a couple of critical moments. Thank you, Dean!
The original question is,
Why did I become a professor?
So, was this a long tangent? Not at all, if you consider what I learned through this experience. Lives are changed by education. I escaped the low-income situation of my childhood, a narrowed perspective, and have enjoyed an amazing career with so many opportunities to learn, see the world, and support my own family of five. This year my oldest graduated from Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and my second child graduated with a Psychology Degree at Texas A&M! I have broken free and lifted the next generation.
All I needed was one conversation, one cold, frosty evening in Leduc, Canada,
to open my eyes to a whole new world of opportunity. In my mind, as a professor, my opportunity to participate in outreach and mentoring and to impact lives is multiplied. For example, I stood in front of 100 at-risk high school students recently to introduce engineering as an option. I heard first-hand that for many of those students, I was the first engineer that they had met.
Whenever I work with students, post my educational content on social media, or strike up a random conversation, I remember that gas station. When I say,
“What starts here, changes the world.”, I lived it, I know it.
