In an more and more interconnected world, cultivating a global perspective can broaden cultural understanding and make clear unconventional profession alternatives.
Five Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science college students have been ready to just do that by touring to the Republic of Ireland this previous winter, the place they skilled the nation’s distinctive lifestyle and technological improvements on the University of Galway and business websites.
The global expertise, led by Assistant Director for the Watson Office for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Richard Quiles and Watson Advising Director Jennifer Drake-Deese is a part of the Watson College Scholars Program, which helps under-resourced college students and connects them with business sponsors. The program can also be designed to present the assist and neighborhood needed to excel whereas pursuing a STEM diploma.
One objective for having Watson Scholars journey overseas is to make clear how completely different nations method engineering, permitting college students to study overseas improvements and evaluate them to these at residence. This yr, they discovered about notable people within the business, analysis, and infrastructure, just like the BIA Innovator Campus in Galway.
For Chloe Redd ‘26, studying in regards to the collaboration between departments on the University of Galway and native establishments let her see the inventive methods wherein different packages conduct analysis.
“Our hosts showed us the vacuum tubes in the Translational Medical Device Lab,” Redd stated. “These are connected to operating rooms in the nearby hospital, so researchers can obtain live samples from patients to observe and develop medicine. Seeing how international schools realize interdisciplinary studies and research through built-in features was inspiring.”
In addition to studying extra about her profession subject on a global degree, Redd immersed herself within the nation’s tradition via participating with the area people.
“The Republic of Ireland has a cultural emphasis on leading enriched lives,” Redd stated. “People work hard and tend to responsibilities but keep a lighthearted attitude and connect with others through this process. Everyone I met in Galway was kind and polite, and unafraid to joke around and have fun.”
For Isabella Vidal ’26, having the ability to be taught in regards to the work on the University of Galway and join it to her personal analysis experiences this previous summer season was an insightful expertise. Witnessing the broad spectrum of labor occurring within the global business opened her eyes to the alternatives she might reap the benefits of after graduating.
The students met business professionals and researchers in Ireland, which gave them the possibility to begin constructing a global community earlier than ending faculty. International connections weren’t the one sort, nevertheless. Redd discovered that spending per week collectively created area for deeper conversations in regards to the future. She was ready to construct relationships along with her friends and be impressed by the unconventional profession plans they mentioned.
Thiara Lantigua ‘26 additionally thinks the trip introduced the students nearer collectively.
“Spending a full week in Ireland with people I had never really talked to aside from academics was the most meaningful part of the global immersion experience,” Lantigua stated. “Getting to know them on a more personal level and forming closer connections throughout the week made the experience feel very special.”
Redd emphasised the significance of curiosity when assembly professionals overseas. Rather than solely specializing in technical achievements, asking about private journeys via conversing with business leaders on the BIA Innovator Campus and researchers on the University of Galway was eye-opening.
“There is a non-zero chance that their career path has been linear,” Redd stated. “Hearing how people end up where they are can provide inspiration and insight for your career search.”
Academically, the trip broadened their concept of what it means to “think like an engineer.” After talking to Anita Furey on the BIA Innovator Campus about how the talents developed from her engineering diploma have helped her as a meals technologist, Redd mirrored on the methods wherein her Watson training is setting her up for fulfillment.
“Talking to various professionals has made me realize that thinking like an engineer is an invaluable skill to have,” Redd stated. “This made me think about all of the soft skills I have developed through Watson, and how these skills will be of great use for my future.”
While the trip to Ireland was solely per week lengthy, they made essentially the most of it by balancing career-focused journeys with visits to historic websites, museums, and well-known pure wonders.
Museums throughout Galway and Dublin deepened their appreciation for Irish historical past and storytelling. Jessica Chen ‘26 described her go to to the Book of Kells Museum at Trinity College Dublin as significant.
“I especially loved being able to walk through the Long Room, which houses thousands of historic texts,” she stated.
Visiting the Cliffs of Moher stood out for a number of students — not just for their breathtaking magnificence, but additionally for the historical past surrounding its area and infrastructure. For Vidal, having the ability to study Ireland’s colonial historical past with the British, resilience, and technological adaptability was inspiring.
“We learned about the history of the area and the historical importance of the roads leading into the mountains and more remote areas of Ireland,” Vidal stated. “We also learned about the Irish workers who were forced to work during Britain’s withholding of food from the Irish and how older homes were built with specific materials to account for the climate.”
The students encountered significant cultural traditions such because the Claddagh ring — a logo of affection, friendship, and loyalty. For junior Ofelia Huerta, witnessing a conventional efficiency let her expertise the methods wherein narratives could be informed via music.
“As I was listening to a group of people play traditional music, a man started singing, and all of a sudden, everyone went quiet and just listened to what that man was singing,” Huerta stated. “It was such a great example of how their culture uses songs to tell a story, and I also got to see how much respect everyone had for the person telling the story.”
By the top of the week, they returned residence with extra than simply your typical images and souvenirs. They gained skilled insights, lifelong friendships, and a broader concept of global profession alternatives provided to college students in engineering and know-how.
“Learning how other universities are doing the research they’re conducting, how their ideas differ from ours, and overall just getting to lead a great group of students like this was definitely an incredible experience,” Quiles stated.
Global immersion continues to reinforce the worth of neighborhood and cultural consciousness inside the Watson College Scholars Program. For future students contemplating the chance of taking the trip, the message is easy: be open to the place the expertise may lead. There’s a excessive probability that the global data and connections gained could have an enduring impact that extends far past per week overseas.