Leading Through UW-NSBE

The Thrill of Leading UW-NSBE. What did I learn from it?

NSBE-UW Attendees at the NSBE National Conference of 2018. (nsbeuw.com)

Overview

NSBE stands for the National Society of Black Engineers. NSBE’s mission statement is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community. NSBE has different chapters nationally, of which the University of Washington is one.

I am currently the Vice President of NSBE-UW, where I conduct club logistical roles. Easier said than done, the VP role is the club’s lifeline. It’s where most of the fun yet highly technical stuff in NSBE occurs, and it requires the utmost flexibility, stamina, and precision to execute.

The personal importance of the task

NSBE has rapidly changed my life for the fleeting time I’ve been around, and I’ve honed my leadership skills here. Being a first-generation immigrant, culture shock engulfed me, taking a while to adjust. While adapting, I lost my voice, turning timid in my interactions. However, with time, the more I found myself within this alien world, the more my attributes returned, and the clearer my purpose became. I gradually grew this way through the years, and I’ve regained it all, especially in my ultimate college year, knowing that my career lies next.

And what better way to revitalize myself than being the VP of a premier honorary organization?

Starting out my tenure as NSBE-UW VP.

Tasks accomplished

I have accomplished the following tasks in my Vice President office as so far:

1. Attended a successful Engineering Launch in early Fall and recruited eight members. The Launch featured 32 Engineering Registered Student Organizations seeking to recruit STEM students campus-wide. However, only five of them (including NSBE) included people of color. Despite the numerical disadvantage, some fellow Blacks interested in STEM joined NSBE covering up for six of our recent graduates.

2. NSBE hosted recruiters in its general body meetings; some exemplary recruiters included Goldman Sachs and NASA. Furthermore, we are currently in talks with Meta (nee Facebook.)

3. Distributed 1321 internships, full-time offers, and graduate school opportunities from NSBE and other databases.

4. Attended and represented UW-NSBE at two West Coast regional conferences (NSBE Region VI): the Regional Leadership Conference (RLC) and the Fall Regional Conference (FRC).

Part of our UW-NSBE team recruiting members during the annual Engineering Launch. We recruited 32 members that day.

What we’re on track to accomplish:

1. Host four affinity group mixers with the Society of Hispanic Engineers (SHPE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the Coalition of Minority and Women Engineering Societies (CMWES), and the Black Student Coalition (BSC) Cookout.

2. Profile Black Scientists and Engineers for Black History Month and our Alumni for Engineering Week.

3. Attend the NSBE National Convention dated March 23rd – 27th, 2022.

Leadership Competencies gained

Of the many possible leadership competencies from my tenure, my most outstanding ones were empowerment, mission, vision, initiative, positive attitude, confidence, and excellence.

Empowerment

Sharing power, information, and resources with others to harbor ownership, accountability, and commitment regarding a task or process led to higher-quality work, more outstanding timeliness and follow-through, and more significant commitment to the mission and team.

I share many resources and insights in my capacity as Vice President, depending on what members need. Mostly, students hope to receive a job offer related to their field of study, so I share internships or full-time openings to their liking. Others inquire about graduate school support, so I disseminate all available resources while referring them to senior NSBE graduate students to mentor them along the way.

Following the adage, “with great power comes great responsibility,” the Vice-President role is a high intensity, high-risk-high-reward one; if you can handle the heat with the position, then opportunities will come rewarding your way. My predecessor told me that I would receive too many opportunities to enjoy; she was right.

NSBE members also empower me to do a better job. I strive to improve myself and repeatedly ask for my performance’s feedback and how better I can address people’s needs. Some suggest more employers. Others resume reviews, and others more food during meetings. It’s all a two-way street where we assist each other to achieve what we so desire.

Mission

It is developing an individual or organizational mission statement that reflects the values of the individual/organization. It serves as a framework for decision-making.

NSBE’s mission statement clearly defines members’ expectations, and I am no exception. Wherever I go, I recall that I am not only a Vice President but also an ambassador, and I have to fulfill the mission in all my partaking.

The words “…culturally responsible…excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community” precisely strike home for me. Respectively, I uphold morals and ethics, both NSBE’s and mine, and strive hard in my classes to excel academically, which, in most cases, I do. In addition, I am fortifying my personal and professional acquaintances (e.g., LinkedIn. The Career Center) for prospects to succeed professionally. Lastly, I always like to impact everything I do, whether at school, home, or in interpersonal interactions. That way, I end up positively impacting my community.

Vision

It is developing a statement that defines the aspiration and direction of an individual, organization, or community to guide actions and decisions.

I transferred to the University of Washington in Fall 2020 at the height of the pandemic and joined NSBE the following Winter Quarter. Months later, after becoming Vice President and learning of NSBE-UW’s history, I obliged to revive the club to its former glory. If not, then offset the basis for future cohorts to achieve so.

I rely on a past I didn’t experience to create a vision of what I won’t see, not negatively but optimistically. My vision for NSBE-UW is a place for all upcoming engineers to learn from and nurture each other, empowering one another to achieve their dreams. This embodiment was what the past NSBE had, and one I wish the future NSBE gets. Until then, I take the honor to mend the bridge in between; to help make NSBE greater than before.

Initiative

Taking charge of a situation, voluntarily and unprompted by others, especially when one has the expertise or opportunity to do so or when others cannot.

There are moments in NSBE when I have no option but to take charge and drive forward the matter, not for self-gain but for the chapter’s benefit.

The remote nature of operations curtailed people from attending many events, with two notable ones being the Regional Leadership Conference and the Fall Regional Conference. UW was a phenomenal attendee to both in the past, but things changed thanks to the Coronavirus. When I learned of the vitality of these conferences, I had to step in when either nobody else could do it or no one was available.

Anybody could attend either conference- no restrictions applied. The only commitment one had to make was the time and willingness to attend; not even entry fees were a problem because the whole event was virtual. Still, I don’t quite understand why people couldn’t show up despite constantly promoting the event to our membership.

I was the only UW student from the entire tri-campus setting to attend both conferences and represent NSBE. Hopefully, by encouraging others to attend these conferences, I assuredly won’t be the last, nor will it be the last time UW NSBE will participate in them.

Positive Attitude

Exhibiting an optimistic outlook by identifying the positive aspects of a situation and displaying a “Cando” attitude to foster a sense of hope, inspire oneself and others, and maximize the positive aspects.

Sometimes I make mistakes, and plans may not go as expected. Consequently, I lose hope for a moment but return more robust and positive after building on the feedback from the past lessons.

We started 2021-2022 slowly with meager attendance numbers. It felt discouraging at first, but I learned how, why, and designed how to improve, masking it with a positive attitude and keeping myself headstrong. As each meeting passed, our numbers gradually increased as more minority students learned of NSBE and its power.

I never lose hope in my optimism or positivity because I know that better things lie ahead, and improving my circumstances is one of them.

Confidence

It is appearing sure of one’s beliefs, knowledge, convictions, and capabilities to assure others of one’s competence.

Once I’m aware of an event or a procedure in place, I am confident about it, and I wholeheartedly assure others.

I always assure Diane, our advisor, of our club undertakings, especially our meetings. I also take my time to deliberate to my fellow board members on the necessary tasks needing accomplishment. Finally, to the membership, I constantly notify and remind them how they can fulfill their NSBE expectations and their potential outcomes and acclaimed benefits.

When I am sure of things, I like to be confident about them. Of course, I can’t predict the outcome. Nonetheless, I hope most of them turn out well, and I convince myself that I’ll celebrate, survive, and learn from the result regardless of the aftermath.

Excellence

It gives one’s best effort to put forth one’s best work.

I always put my best foot forward and do my best to achieve all that I can with NSBE. One of my mantras is always giving my 110% to the club and not settling for anything less. Referring to an anonymous quote, “I want everything under my name to be excellent.”

Combining my previous attributes, leadership competencies, and all that I do for the club, my co-trustees- board members, advisors, and even club members- commend on my excellence. They mention how much I’m willing to give to the society. I see my merit, but I see it better in the eyes and hear it better from the words of others.

I invest my passion and desires into NSBE, and the efforts with which I do so convert into the excellence that the next generation of black engineers can embrace.

Lessons learned and future-oriented statement

My activeness and involvement in NSBE as Vice President reminded me that I am human.

First, no commitment, whether in a professional or personal setting, should derogate who I am as a human being, and I can’t evade this. Instead, I’ve learned to acknowledge my limits and create room for mistakes since mistakes are life. Second, I shouldn’t rush anything, but rather, work in my capacity and travel at my pace because I am still human at the end of the day.

I’ve also learned how to maintain my optimism, a positive attitude, and one that feeds on resiliency to surge forward no matter what. I also appreciate being myself in a larger dynamic, and I pray that motivates others, too, to be their free selves and contribute to the wholeness of all.

By empowering others, I grew more generous towards others. I realized that there is power in sharing and that you don’t lose anything by helping others. Thus, I’m willing to give more than I have because I know someone else will benefit from it.

Career-wise, I know where I’m headed. In the short term, I could venture into a team-based consulting technology company where I can use my competencies to lead and direct others towards achieving a common goa- think project management. Long-term, I envision myself in entrepreneurship, starting my thought-leadership company and brand focusing on personal development, motivation, and inspiration. This is where my attributes and competencies will shine, and it’s a place that shall manifest my personality towards the world.

Looking at better things ahead, God willing.

“The less we have, the more we give. Seems absurd, but it’s the logic of love.”

~Mother Theresa.