Faking Fearlessness: In Reality I’m Running Scared

I wish I could say that I was fearless and that when I entered the Atherton Hotel on the very first day of WEPO marking the start of my college career that I could have said “I know exactly what I am doing.”  But, alas, I did not.  I walked into WEPO thinking I was going to study biomedical engineering and work in either research or an industry closely related to the medical field.

Today, I find myself writing this from my temporary home in a town just outside of Steelton, Pennsylvania.  Most people have no idea that Steelton exists.  Those that are aware, know that the company by which I am currently employed is located in the town but do not realize that it is still functioning.  This is what makes ArcelorMittal, Steelton my diamond in the rough.

Of course, you are probably asking yourself “ArcelorMittal? What is that?”  For all you know, they could still be a research facility or industry location closely related to the medical field.  However, I have swayed far from that fantasy.  ArcelorMittal is a steel company.  Steelton, specifically, makes railroad rails.  I MAKE RAILROAD RAILS!  How cool is that?

Anyway…I am sharing this information because many of us walk in the doors of the Atherton thinking that everyone in the room has it all figured out and that they expect us to have it all figured out too.  Personally, I did not have it figured out until recently.  I conducted research in a Penn State lab, changed my major once, applied for different types of internships and ended up in a steel mill.  Luckily I LOVE what I am doing and as I enter my senior year, I am beginning to actually figure it all out.

With the help of my WEP family, I was able to determine that mechanical engineering was a better fit for me and now I find myself getting down and dirty in all of the grease and grime that goes along with the steel mill.  To me, this means climbing into cranes to get a better look at their moving parts and how to fix or replace them (pictured here), watching how rails are formed and shaped and various other aspects of the mill.  In the end, the fearlessness that I was faking that made it seem as though I knew exactly what I wanted when I graduated did me no good.  It is okay to be unsure of the future and to be a little bit scared.  I learned that it is for reasons like that that we have a WEP family.  I also learned that good things can come even if you do not have a certain plan.

So, I leave you with this thought: if you are unsure about where your engineering degree might take you, do not rule out the fact that you (like me) might one day be strutting your stuff in steel toed boots, green fire resistant clothing and a strudy hard hat!

Kati Shea is a senior in Mechanical Engineering. This summer she is working for ArcelorMittal. Kati is a mentor for WEPO 2012.