Inspired to Aspire: The Birth of my Engineering Career

Inspired to Aspire: The Birth of my Engineering Career

My Engineering career started back in my high school days when I got to understand Physics and excelled in it. I was also fortunate enough to have good teachers such as Joseane Joseph and Gabes Unona that were good mentors which led to passing grade 10 with flying colors. My big sister whom I call deputy-deputy mother Hendrina Ndeshy Lazarus surprised me with the holiday in Windhoek just after the results were released.

As my sister used to go to work, she usually left me her close friend, a civil Engineer by profession who by that time just came from German Eng. Mansueta Neliwa . She was so happy that I passed my grade 10 very well, encouraged me to take my education seriously, and motivated me to take up Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to make a valuable contribution to Namibia and the world. From there, I then started picturing myself in a blue overall and gumboots.

In 2012, between August and September, it was the time to apply to university, and as a norm, I remember my parents asking ‘What are you going to study?’ I then told them I am going to study engineering. My big brother who was the smartest person in the house by then and had friends that were studying Engineering said "It's difficult, for men and I will not make it as smart people had failed it before''. Mom started convincing me to apply for nursing to follow in the deputy-deputy mother's footsteps Hendrina Ndeshy Lazarus .

With all the respect, I turned down their suggestion and politely told them I am going to apply for Engineering as it is my dream career. So I applied for Engineering at UNAM and NUST and I was accepted at NUST.

January 2013, I was in Okakarara when the grade 12 results came out, and with no surprise, I passed well. I can still remember my big sister ‘deputy-mother’ asking what I am going to study. I then told her I got a conditional offer to go study Engineering at NUST. She then kept asking what if you didn’t make it through the pre-selection? I told her I will be accepted and should I not be accepted I will try Information Technology (IT) as it was my second choice. The deputy mother kept asking the ‘’what if’’ question and I got so annoyed with her hence I said to her; should I not be accepted, I will come back home and try again the following year.

February 2013, I left for the final selection with my other friends and I was the only one accepted to go for Engineering studies from my high school. However, due to my English symbol, I could not go straight to the first year, so I was then left with no choice but to register for Introduction to Engineering.

February 2014, I registered for B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering. To be honest, the B.Tech of Mechanical Engineering was really, really giving me a tough time, and my big brother's words “Engineering is difficult, for men and you will not make it’’ started kicking in. I could not let my family know the difficult and hard times I was experiencing as they could tell me that they warned me. Speaking of the hard times, I remember failing my first rigid body dynamics test badly and if recall very well with 28%. That day my friends that had above 30% at me laughed badly until I cried. I then told myself that despite failing the first test badly, I am not going to repeat that module meaning I had to study hard. If you are to ask the most failed module in Mechanical Engineering at NUSTby then or probably still today is Engineering Mechanics (Rigid Bodies). From that day, Library, the Newspaper zone to be specific became my new home. I studied for the second test and I remember coming first in that test with 80% the Rigid Body Lecturer by that time was happy with my work and advised me to share my study tactics with other students. One good lesson I can say I learned from failing is that, it made me stronger and made me realize my capabilities which gave birth my voluntary mentorship. From then on, I became a student of time management and hard work. Therefore, just like ANY COURSE/CAREER, Engineering is not for the smartest or fast learners but for everyone that loves it, focused, and determined.

April 2018, I graduated with a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering "Best Student" and 25 June 2021 I graduated with a Master's in Industrial Engineering “Cum-Laude” and the journey continues (Ph.D. Industrial Engineering Candidate).

So in a nutshell, I am here to tell you that it’s okay to be stubborn about our careers and things we love. It’s also okay to NO to our parents and career suggestions despite them being the ones responsible for financing your career.

Remember: You are enough! You are capable! You can do it! You are smart and after all, God is with you!