Visiting alumni share engineering insights with Senior School students

Senior School students were so excited to talk to visiting alumni about engineering education programs and career opportunities that they packed our University Counselling office for an 8:00 a.m. event earlier this week. The special guests – Jason Godfry ‘05, Alex Dason ‘07, Peter Clarkson ‘10, Chris Kousinioris ‘16, Calaya Corneli ‘20 and Duncan Watson ‘20 - generously shared their insights and advice with approximately fifty students from Grades 9 to 12. The alumni and students were participating in “The Engineering Roadmap,” which was organized by York’s University Counselling and Alumni Engagement teams.

During a lively panel discussion, the engineers told the students about their experiences at McGill, Queen’s, the University of Toronto and University of Southern California. They also described their work in emerging transportation technologies, satellite communication systems, nuclear power, flight test programs and residential construction. 

The conversation was wide-ranging, but a number of themes emerged. The students learned that communication skills are just as important for engineers as technical skills. The speakers also explained that because engineers work across disciplines, getting a degree in one branch of engineering doesn’t limit a graduate to careers in that field.

Grade 10 student Devon T. was one of the attendees who is considering studying engineering in university. “I have a passion for cars and I like building things so I think engineering suits both of my passions very well,” he says.

Engineer Calaya Corneli ‘20 is currently pursuing a Master’s in Flight Science at the International Test Pilot School, where she collaborates with civilian and military pilots as a flight test engineer. She says she was happy to come back to York to represent women in engineering. “It’s really important to me that girls feel that they are able to step up and be in engineering, and not have the worry or the stigmatization that it’s a male-dominated field, because I’ve had such great experiences,” she says.
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