• What are the top three things you learned over trip?

 

1. 1. 1. How to communicate more effectively in a team based project setting
         1. Needing to meet team objectives in a short amount of time meant that I had to develop refined communication skills that could effectively mobilize my team members without causing tension.
         2. Simply hearing out what team members had to add to the discussion was not enough. It is necessary to actually consider what team members add to the conversation because I often found that my team members had come up with a simpler or more effective solution than I.
      2. I have a passion for the design process and engineering process
         1. Working on the coaster designs and using my creativity and problem solving skills to engineer a product that best suits the needs of the customer and the capacity of the producer
         2. “Going back to the drawing board” was one of my favorite elements of the design process. I found that I thrived when I was working on a design to best fit new specifications given to me. 
      3. Most problems are much more open ended than they might seem, and good solutions come from a variety of sources
         1. When taking in information and meeting with new people, there is always something that can be learned or understood or opened up. It is important to keep an open mind about your surroundings and recognize that any information you gather may be relevant later on. 
         2. That being said, it became equally as important to not let myself become bogged down by all the details of the project. So it became clear to me to strike a balance between working steadily towards a goal and considering the relevant information

 

• How did the gsif trip facilitate your professional development?

 

1. 1. 1. I had a rigorous experience working in a small technical team tasked with designing a specific product for a customer
         1. My time in this project gave me real world experience working in a team based setting, something that a classroom cannot offer. This experience will give me a competitive edge later on in my professional career.
      2. Gained and refined skills in computer modeling in Fusion 360 
         1. Since the computer lab in the UPD fabrication lab did not have Solidworks, the modeling program I am most experienced in, I had no choice but to learn to use Autodesk Fusion 360, and as a result, I not only refined my skills in that specific software, but I also have gained more skills in computer drafting and modeling as a whole. 
      3. Authored a scientific paper that applies to my field of study and also now shows that I have expertise in a specific topic
         1. After completing the Global Health and Tech conference paper, I can now say that I have contributed to public knowledge in the engineering field, and my name is out there for me to demonstrate to future employers that I have experience and expertise in a technical project and field.

 

• How did the gsif trip help you grow personally?

• The trip helped me grow personally by allowing me to experience life outside of my day to day routine. 

 

1. 1. 1. 1. Seeing the way life operates outside of the United States was eye opening, as I have never before had the opportunity to immerse myself in another country and culture. It gave me a better appreciation for the standard of living in the US, and allowed me to have a broader perspective of the globe.

 

• I was able to experience elements of nature I would not otherwise get the opportunity to.

• The weekend trips into Mount Mapalad and the coral reef snorkeling in Batangas beach were amazing to demonstrate the beauty of the Philippines and to empassion me and my team to work harder to prevent plastic waste from damaging that beauty. Seeing what could be at stake is an extremely powerful motivation 

 

1. 2. Expand horizons and worldview
   3. Experience and understand a new culture and see how some elements of culture spread througout the world and some do not