My pathway to become an Engineer

HONESTLY, I do not have any idea about Civil Engineering when I was growing up especially during my high school years when I plan of what I want to be in the future, or in other words what I want to take up in college. When I was young, I was fascinated of wearing white coats as most of the people work in the hospitals wear. So, I want to be a doctor! Time is running swiftly and that dream of wearing a while coat remained a dream until now...

Maybe I was not really destined to be a medical professional considering that my family cant afford to send me to a medical school for at least 7 years (including internship). But anyway, I have option B to think about and decided to take up Civil Engineering (CE) course in a government university. Modesty aside, I was qualified to pursue this course considering that I was in the top 3 graduating high school students, including 5 best subject medals (Math, History, Physics, Pilipino, Drafting). Having that qualifications, with the strong determination to be successful engineer someday, I did a rewarding and memorable experience in my studies and employment at the same time.

Due to university policy, I did not immediately pursue with the engineering course, Civil Tech instead as a qualifying stage. It was a good start and completed the 2-year diploma with high distinction. With this certificate, I was able to work (full time) in the university as a Research Assistant, while pursuing the engineering degree in the evening. It was tough, but my work was my passport to understand what's the role of a Civil Engineer in the society. Working in the lab provided me the hands-on knowledge of how civil engineers do their share in the planning and management of our infrastructures like roads, bridges, buildings, water supply, etc. to making our town/city a better place to live in. At this early stage of my career, I learned the importance of my role as a future engineer. I was trained to work with Japanese lecturers/researchers and had the opportunity to work in a team. Quickly, I maintained the cleanliness of the lab - ensuring that all equipment and machines are in good condition; assists the researchers in testing of concrete materials, sand, gravel, asphalt; and once in a while handled a group of undergrad CE students on their experiments, including training programs for outside contracts.

My job ended from the time I took my CE board exam and successfully got my license. My first job was a rewarding experience which gave me the determination to face new challenges outside the academic world. I like what I was doing in the lab, but I dont want to stay in the university after completion of my engineering degree (which everyone does), consequently do a full time 'teaching' career. I dont say that academic career is not a rewarding experience, but frankly, I cant imagine myself to be tied up with work within the 4 corners of the classroom! Having a mindset of exploring outside the academe, I decided to join a local government unit which brought me to a higher level of learning and professionalism - to become one of the junior urban planners in the financial district of my home country!

BY THE WAY, I left my family and had my own little space in a boarding house near my university when I got my first job. Well, it gave me confidence to mingle with other people and to take care of myself with enough money to maintain my lifestyle.