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EWEEK Forums › Global Marathon › March 22: 2 - 2:30 p.m. › Who Am I?
Author Message
tam


8 posts  
posted on 3/22/2007 2:04:22 PM [ profile ]
Welcome to the "Life Outside the Classroom" Global Marathon forum!

First, a bit of background on myself...


What did I like to do when I was a kid?

I enjoyed drawing and writing stories, I took dance lessons, learned to play the piano, and played sports like soccer and basketball.


Pre-university, what were my favourite subjects in school?

The subjects I enjoyed most were math and the sciences -- physics, chemistry, biology.


Why did I choose to study engineering?

My strengths lay in the math and sciences, so I figured that I would take something in the Science or Engineering faculty. Fortunately, while in high school I had an opportunity to participate in a Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST) program, which is designed to encourage young women to consider careers in the fields of science, engineering, and technology. As a summer position, I was assigned to work at a local engineering lab, focussed on information and communications technology. I really enjoyed this experience, and as a result, decided to study engineering in university.


Which engineering discipline did I choose?

During my first year of engineering, which was general engineering and exposed students to each of the disciplines, I discovered that I liked learning about areas such as electronic design and communications, but what I enjoyed most was computer programming. So the following year I decided to go into Computer Engineering, and now have a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering.


What do I do now?

I design and develop software for a device used to test routers. What are routers, you ask? Basically, their main function is to direct traffic on the Internet. It is what allows you to send e-mail to someone, view webpages, and even have this on-line conversation.


What do I like about my job?

There are many opportunities for learning and since technology is constantly changing it keeps things exciting. I have had the opportunity to design and develop different layers of software -- from the graphical user interface (GUI) to the embedded software. As well, I have had experiences with visiting customer sites (to give demonstrations and provide support) and even managing projects. There is much more to computer engineering than just sitting at a desk typing on a computer all day.


What other interests do I have?

Well, I still love sports -- though each year I seem to try something new. My latest endeavours have been in rock climbing, snowboarding, competing in triathlons, and playing squash and ultimate frisbee. I also enjoy travelling, photography, producing multimedia (slideshows, DVDs), reading, and playing boardgames.


Stay tuned for my following posts regarding student engineering projects, engineering organizations, and mentoring. I hope you find this information useful, and I look forward to reading your comments and questions.

Replies [ post reply ]
beverly
new member

1 posts
replied on 3/22/2007 2:17:08 PM [ profile ]
When I think of computers I think of typing and being in a cubicle. Do you get to work with other people?

tam
new member

4 posts
replied on 3/22/2007 2:27:02 PM [ profile ]
Definitely! Developing software involves more than one person. We work together in teams to complete a project. This team not only consists of other engineers, but we work with other departments like marketing, for example. They provide us with input about what the customer wants, so we know what we should be building.



 

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