Using 青年涩导航鈥檚 exceptional student support and career resources, senior aerospace engineering major Sydney Bihn followed her instincts to her true career calling.
Since high school, Sydney Bihn鈥檚 plan was to become a teacher, specifically in middle childhood education. When it came time to choose a university, she wanted to stay in Ohio to take advantage of in-state tuition.
She visited several Ohio universities, including the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Ohio State University and Miami University. Then, she and her father toured 青年涩导航. While visiting campus, Bihn says, 鈥淚 got that feeling.
鈥淚 felt it was a place where I could just be myself and whoever I wanted to be, without judgment,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here were all kinds of people here, everybody doing their own thing.鈥�
During her time at 青年涩导航, Bihn realized that education wasn鈥檛 her true calling. After talking with career counselors and her mentors, she made the bold switch from education to aerospace engineering three years into her time on campus.
She will be the first woman to graduate from 青年涩导航 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in aerospace engineering. She is excited to be a trailblazer, but also aware of the lag in women entering STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields nationwide. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a significant issue,鈥� she says. 鈥淒iversity in general, not just women, especially women of color. It鈥檚 disappointing that we鈥檙e still at that point in society that women aren鈥檛 encouraged as much as they should be to enter STEM fields.鈥�
Following Her 鈥楩eeling鈥�
Three years into her studies in education, Bihn began to experience what she calls 鈥渁 gnawing feeling,鈥� a sense that this career path wasn鈥檛 leading to what she truly wanted. She visited the Career Exploration and Development office where the career advisors provided resources that helped her determine engineering was the right fit for her.
That support and assistance, Bihn says, is one of the things that sets 青年涩导航 apart. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 incredibly unique about 青年涩导航 compared to a lot of other universities,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 have 青年涩导航 to thank for where I am not, because there鈥檚 just this feeling, and support in figuring out who you want to be and who you want to become.鈥�
Bihn is still in touch with her mentors in the education program because they were fully supportive of her decision to switch majors 鈥� even as close as she was to graduation. She has also found new mentors in the engineering program.
Changing Majors
In moving from education to engineering, Bihn didn鈥檛 find many crossovers in the curriculum. However, she had been studying to teach math and science, which connected to the math in her engineering classes 鈥� and other important skills. 鈥淭here were definitely benefits from starting in education,鈥� she says, 鈥渏ust from being comfortable speaking in front of people, being a leader, accepting criticism and continuous improvement.鈥�
Bihn鈥檚 advice for other students who might be considering a change? Don鈥檛 be afraid to take a chance. 鈥淚f you have that gut feeling, follow it. Don鈥檛 just go with something because it鈥檚 the path you selected years ago,鈥� she says.
She cautions students to be sure to do their research before they switch, of course, but with the assurance that there are people at 青年涩导航 that are specifically there to help. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to be alone in trying to make it happen,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou have an entire support system of people on campus that will try and make it work for you, to let you pursue your dreams. This is the place, definitely, to do it.鈥�
Embracing New Experiences
Some of the things Bihn enjoys most about the engineering program at 青年涩导航 are the many opportunities for new experiences and travel. In her first year, she represented 青年涩导航 at the Farnborough International Airshow in England. She also has traveled for competitions and conferences, including a trip to SpaceVision in Arizona in November.
鈥淓ngineering opens doors like that,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou have the support to do that kind of stuff, to help finance it and help get you there.鈥� She notes that she is in a fellowship and has made friends with people attending other universities. Some of these students are unable to attend conferences because their programs lack funding. At 青年涩导航, Bihn says, 鈥淚 show up with the paperwork and they鈥檙e like 鈥榃e鈥檙e sending you,鈥� and I鈥檓 like 鈥榃ow, this is awesome.鈥欌€�
She describes the faculty in her engineering program as 鈥渂rilliant and talented.鈥� As educators, Bihn says, they excel at explaining complex ideas and they give students 鈥渞eal-world concepts and ideas鈥� instead of 鈥渃ookie-cutter problems.鈥� She says the college has worked hard to hire the right people to create an exceptional program for engineering students.
Exciting opportunities outside of coursework help engineering students learn even more. Bihn is the secretary of 青年涩导航鈥檚 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics student organization. She is also project manager for the AIAA Design/Build/Fly team this year and was the project manager for the unmanned aero systems team last fall. 鈥淭he Design/Build/Fly projects are what make you an engineer,鈥� she says. 鈥淭ime spent in classes, doing the math and getting high grades is very important, but applying that knowledge in activities like these 鈥� hands on 鈥� is what makes a successful engineer,鈥� Bihn says. 鈥淎nd having these experiences also sets you apart from other people on job interviews,鈥� she adds.
Plans for the Future
Bihn met her fiance at 青年涩导航 and has a wedding planned for October. 鈥淚鈥檝e met all my best friends here,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e been in three weddings of friends who graduated from 青年涩导航, and all of them are going to be in my wedding 鈥� and obviously they all graduated on time,鈥� Bihn says, laughing. 鈥淚鈥檓 the only one still here.鈥�
As for her career, it appears that Bihn鈥檚 prospects are as wide as the sky. She has interviewed with big-name aerospace companies with contracts for the military as well as the space industry. One company is a West Coast startup called Virgin Orbit. It launches satellites into space from aircraft instead of from the ground. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a little more efficient that way,鈥� says Bihn. She spent last summer working for a California company that is developing an 鈥渁ir taxi,鈥� an all-electric vehicle to transport people in cities and other urban environments.
Bihn is also interested in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies and has worked for the last two years on UAV teams here at 青年涩导航. Last year, her team built a hex copter, and this year they鈥檙e working on a radio-controlled bush plane. UAV career fields are intriguing to her because they are the newest and most underdeveloped. 鈥淚t would be a cool spot to get into and let you make a name for yourself in being an expert in that,鈥� she says.
鈥淲hen it comes to my first job, I鈥檓 also specifically looking at the environment I would be in and how much learning and growth opportunities there are in the environment,鈥� Bihn says, 鈥渂ecause you can always use that leverage to get into the specific industry that you鈥檙e looking into.鈥�
High Aspirations
Bihn is aware of her role as a vanguard. It鈥檚 something she embraces because she has a passion for education and encouraging young minds. 鈥淲hether women in the industry realize it or not, there鈥檚 a lot of proving yourself,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not assumed you can do things like it is with men in engineering.鈥�
Asked how she might introduce herself to someone, to let them know who she is, Bihn says, 鈥淗i, my name is Sydney, and I am a Midwestern girl who is ready to impact the aerospace industry and pave the way for other women to do the same.鈥�
