EWB Tanzania Trip

Reflection

I have been involved with engineers without borders since my first year at UC. I think in a way my interest in the organization stemmed from my grandfathers involvement in Doctors Without Borders: a relationship that existed long before I was born. When I joined the organization, however, I had no idea how much my involvement would shape me. In my second year, I became a project lead and then a Co-Vice President of Projects this past year. Due to my position, I was in charge of planning the annual trip to Tanzania, which is covered in this honors experience. On this trip, we go to the communities in Tanzania we serve, hold meetings, and check on the water system. I made binders with agendas (an example of which is provided below) and plans for everything that may have been needed on the ground. Even with all of the preparation efforts I put into this trip, I could never have prepared for what this trip taught me. This organization has allowed me to pursue my passions while gaining technical competence in a way I’ve never felt before. I was suddenly someone people could come to when they had questions instead of the other way around. I also learned that you will never know what is happening on a project without meeting the people involved and physically seeing (and testing) what’s there. You can draw all the as-builts and plans you’d like but it often doesn’t matter when the designs are being actually executed. I think this knowledge (both of my ability to become increasingly technically competent and the importance of getting eyes on projects) will serve me well in my future career and I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn more about myself and my future career.