Three Engineering Students Receive 2012 ASPE Alfred Steele Scholarships

Designed to help the next generation of engineers receive the education they need to succeed in their careers, the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) Alfred Steele Engineering Scholarship is awarded annually to students enrolled in or planning to enroll in an engineering degree program. This year, ASPE is pleased to announce that three highly qualified individuals each received a Steele Scholarship to use toward their education.

Jingyu Lee	Elizabeth Mende	Veronica Mende

Jingyu Lee, a student member of ASPE, attends Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago with a triple major in architectural engineering, civil engineering, and architecture. “I would like to pursue my career goal, which I call 30-60-90. It means constructing 30 buildings that are at least 60 stories tall before I am 90 years old,” he says. “That is why I am deeply interested in attaining the fundamentals of plumbing engineering. This dimension of engineering has given me an in-depth understanding of the construction industry and will be a great asset for my career. The Steele Scholarship will not only help me financially, but it will also motivate me to pursue my academic degree and career dream.”

Jingyu has a 3.89 GPA and has been on the Dean’s List at IIT for seven consecutive semesters. He is vice president and webmaster of ASHRAE IIT and cofounder and vice president of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois Student Chapter. “With the help of my colleagues, I am working on creating an ASPE student chapter at IIT, which will be very valuable to students who are interested in the plumbing industry,” he says.

Twins Elizabeth and Veronica Mende both graduated from Will Carleton Academy in Hillsdale, Michigan with 4.0 GPAs and will be attending Kettering University in Flint, Michigan this fall. After their junior year in high school, they attended a two-week program at Kettering called LITE (Lives Improved Through Engineering), where they were introduced to the numerous career opportunities provided by an engineering degree.

“During the two weeks we spent on campus, we learned about many different types of engineering,” Elizabeth says. “We also had the chance to meet other high school girls who were interested in math and/or science but, like me, hadn’t had much exposure to the different career opportunities engineering has to offer. It was an incredible revelation.”

“I learned what different types of engineers accomplish in their daily work, and I was amazed at the career possibilities,” Veronica says. “We attended different engineering sessions about biochemistry, biomechanics, and crash lab safety.”

In the 2011–2012 school year, Elizabeth was vice president of the Student Council and a member of the National Honor Society, and she is an active volunteer for various church activities. Elizabeth plans on majoring in mechanical engineering at Kettering. At the LITE program, “the time spent in the automotive crash lab helped me decide that a career in mechanical engineering would be best for me,” she says. “With a degree in mechanical engineering, I will be able to use my math skills to potentially help others, which is something that I find very important. If I were able to design safety features in automobiles, then I would be doing something good to improve the lives of others and, as a bonus, have fun while doing it.”

Veronica, who is majoring in biomechanical engineering, was a class representative of Student Council and a member of the National Honor Society during her senior year in high school and also actively volunteers for church activities. “I found biomedical engineering the most interesting because I like the idea of being able to help other people by designing products that could improve their physical conditions,” she says. “Engineering would allow me to use both math and problem-solving skills in my daily job. It is also very important to me to know that I am helping people. Being a biomedical engineer would allow me to help others or possibly even save lives with the equipment I design or improve.”

ASPE congratulates Jingyu, Elizabeth, and Veronica for their accomplishments and is proud to help them achieve their career goals through the Alfred Steele Engineering Scholarship. “ASPE is committed to mentoring and helping young engineers progress in their studies and their careers. They represent our future, and we could not be more thrilled with our award recipients this year,” says ASPE Executive Director/CEO Jim Kendzel, MPH, CAE. “Because of students like them, we are confident that the future of our profession is in good hands.”

To learn more about the ASPE Alfred Steele Engineering Scholarship, visit aspe.org/SteeleScholarship.