Chart Your Own Path

“You’re running your own race.” These were Senior Director of Career Development Rhonda Harley’s words of wisdom to industrial and systems engineering student Lauren Washington. To sum it up, do what you love and chart your own path. Washington, now a senior at the University of San Diego, took that to heart, spending her five years on campus focused on fostering connections and pursuing new learning opportunities.

Originally planning to major in political science, Washington’s introduction to engineering came through Professor Odesma Dalrymple, PhD, an associate professor in the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, who was looking to encourage more young women of color to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). After a conversation with Dr. Dalrymple, Washington was convinced to give engineering a try.

“She just kind of introduced me to all of the possibilities of engineering and social justice, so that initially got me interested.”

Enrolling in Dr. Dalrymple’s human-centered design course, Washington was inspired by the possibilities of engineering that is accessible to all users, something that is important to her as an older sister to a brother with Down Syndrome.

“Through the course, I was able to create something that was actually going to aid and help people,” she says. “Engineering is not a one-shoe-fits-all type of scenario, so I liked the idea of my work having a genuine impact.”

Fully embracing her new academic path, Washington attended the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) national conference her first year on campus as the only female engineering representative from USD, which she credits as a pivotal moment in her engineering journey.

“Seeing people who look like me, or like my dad, or my brother, or people in my family was important to me,” she says. “Seeing people who I identify with, wearing suits and business attire, was such positive representation.”

She subsequently ran for vice president of the campus’ NSBE chapter her second year on campus and was elected to that role.

For Washington, these experiences also motivated her to explore new opportunities. Her junior year at USD, she decided to pursue a position on the NSBE regional board, where she helped oversee 50 campus chapters in 13 states.

Currently in her fifth and final year at USD, Washington is now serving as the first female president of the campus’ NSBE chapter, something she is proud of as she looks back on her road to this moment.

“This is a big deal for me since I started off as the only USD female representative to attend the NSBE national convention,” says Washington. “Now, the USD chapter is a predominantly female executive board.”

While this soon-to-be alumna plans ahead for graduate school and a future in bioengineering, she’s cognizant of the growth she’s experienced while at USD, usually by “leaning in to opportunities,” even if she wasn’t sure of the outcomes. “Just because it’s not easy, doesn’t mean it’s too hard,” she says, adamant that pushing herself to try new things has made her the engineer she is today.

With the next steps of her journey on the horizon, Washington is looking forward to walking across the Commencement stage and continuing on her path as a determined Changemaker with a desire to keep learning.

— Allyson Meyer ’16 (BA), ’21 (MBA)