When Ernestina Boateng arrived at the University of Idaho from Ghana in fall of 2018, she was surprised by the differences between Ghanan and American cultures. Everything, even the way Americans study, was different from what she was used to.
Boateng had a friend who recommended she join the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Boateng attended a club meeting and was hooked.
“When you go to meetings, you actually meet black people there who are also going through the same struggles you are going through,” Boateng said. “(Members) are adjusting or they’ve already adjusted, and they give you advice on how you’re supposed to study. They give you an idea of how you can adjust to living here.”
UI NSBE President Olaniyi Arowojolu, said the club’s goal is to help students succeed in all aspects of their lives.
More recently, NSBE held the 13th annual Dynamic Engineers Lecture Series in the beginning of March. The goal behind the Dynamic Engineers Lecture series is to inspire everyone, not just engineers or people interested in STEM.
“The mission and the aim of the club is to help students succeed academically and professionally, and at the same time, give back to society,” Arowojolu said.
The club achieves these goals by providing members with tutoring, scholarship opportunities and access to networking events. As for giving back to society, the club achieves this by visiting nearby high schools and encouraging people, especially people of color, to pursue careers in STEM, Arowojulu said.
“We want to motivate people. We want people to know that no matter what comes your way, you can impact somebody’s life. You can achieve your dream,” Boateng said.
NSBE has helped Boateng improve aspects of herself, and she was encouraged to run for the club’s executive board. In her position as secretary, she has improved her writing and social skills, Boateng said.
“Personally, I hate writing. But being secretary has actually opened me up more, because (I) have to write minutes, and (I) have to send emails to members to tell them about events coming up,” Boateng said. “So, that has helped me improve my writing skills a lot. Now, because of the position, sometimes I have to talk. It has increased my confidence, and I’m really excited about that.”
Arowojolu said the club is not exclusively for black engineering students. The club is open to all STEM majors, and anyone can join.
“One of the things we do with NSBE is making our members realize that we can actually impact the community and society,” Arowojolu said.
Members of NSBE collaborate with other student organizations, such as the Society of Women Engineers. Arowojolu said with these collaborations, students discuss the benefit of minorities and diversity in the workplace.
Arowojolu said by encouraging diversity in the workplace, new perspectives & ideas can be brought to the table. This can propel the success of an organization. He said these new perspectives can help change the existing system.
“That is where I want to get to as the president of NSBE in the future: A lot of outreach events and a lot of volunteering events for people to give back to the society, especially for the those that are neglected in the society, those that are underrepresented in the society,” Arowojolu said. “We can be a voice for them. We can be the ones that can bridge the gap between where they are supposed to be and where they are right now.”
Savanna Estey can be reached at [email protected].