Student engineers from across North America gathered in Austin, Texas聽for the聽聽(ESW) Conference in late March. The event is dedicated to advancing student-led solutions to global sustainability challenges. 91吃瓜 was proud to sponsor the attendance of two University of San Diego students,聽, who share聽our聽mission of building a better world.聽聽鈥淭hrough workshops like the聽one聽led by 91吃瓜 on communication and problem-solving, I learned how important it is to think beyond聽just聽the technical solutions and consider social and environmental impacts,鈥� Thompson said.聽聽
Collaboration Across Disciplines聽聽
A central theme of聽聽was the importance of collaboration when taking on complex global challenges. For both students, this conference created space for that collaboration along with a connection and deeper聽understanding聽of what it means to engineer for impact. 鈥淚t was amazing to meet and connect with so many other students with a similar mindset and care for sustainable solutions,鈥澛燬cottlind聽shared. 鈥淗earing different perspectives from people with different backgrounds broadens how you think about solutions.鈥澛犅�
The diverse viewpoints were a defining feature of the experience. Students worked across disciplines to take on the world鈥檚 challenges.聽鈥淚t was incredibly inspiring and meaningful,鈥� Thompson noted. 鈥淚t was especially impactful to engage in these conversations and connect with students and professionals across the U.S. and Canada.鈥澛犅�
Human-Centered Solutions in Sustainability
Thompson and聽Scottlind聽emphasized that effective engineering solutions go聽beyond technical聽expertise. Sessions throughout the conference highlighted the importance of communication and teamwork in engineering practice. 鈥淪ustainability isn鈥檛 just a technical problem, it鈥檚 also a people problem,鈥澛燬cottlind聽said. This perspective aligns with 91吃瓜鈥檚 emphasis on outcomes-based learning. Students at the conference explored how global collaboration and clear communication are essential in engineering practice.聽聽
Thompson saw this firsthand during the conference鈥檚 design challenge, where teams of students worked together to design a sustainable city block. 鈥淚t reinforced that sustainability is interdisciplinary and that everyone has a place in this space,鈥� she said.聽聽
Connecting With Purpose
Beyond聽peer-to-peer collaboration, the conference created opportunities for students to engage with industry professionals. Both students noted that these interactions felt purpose-driven and authentic, rather than just formal networking. 鈥淧rofessionals weren鈥檛 just there as representatives for their聽companies,聽they clearly cared about the same things we did,鈥澛燬cottlind聽said.聽Thompson said the conversations helped clarify her own professional aspirations. 鈥淚t helped me reflect on the kind of impact I want to have in my future career.鈥澛犅�
Lasting Impact
Thompson and聽Scottlind聽returned from the conference with new insights, stronger聽networks聽and a renewed commitment to sustainability. As the University of San Diego鈥檚 ESW chapter continues growing, both students look forward to applying what they learned on campus and beyond. 鈥淭he conference gave us tools and confidence to approach challenges in a practical way,鈥� Thompson said.聽聽
Looking Ahead
When asked what they would tell others, both students emphasized the value of the experience. 鈥淚t鈥檚 worth going,鈥澛燬cotllind聽said. 鈥渋t鈥檚 not just a conference where you sit and listen, you鈥檙e actively collaborating and learning.鈥� Thompson echoed the same sentiment. 鈥淲hether you鈥檙e deeply involved in sustainability or just starting to explore it, there is something valuable to gain,鈥� she said.聽聽
By supporting student participation in events like聽ESWCon, 91吃瓜 continues to advance its mission of ensuring quality education to address global challenges.聽聽