When you make that decision of where you want to attend college as a high school senior, students are unaware of where they will end up at the end of their undergraduate journey. The growth you experience, the things you learn, the places you will go can be unimaginable at the time. And the people around you in this journey can be some of the biggest leaders of the new generation. Some students are working hard right now in order to make a difference in the world later in their respective fields.
Marquette is home to future nurses, engineers and business owners who hope to be leaders in their fields someday.
Rachel Mehail – junior, College of Engineering
The path to a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering can be a long task for some students, due to its requirements to complete rigorous classes like chemistry and statistics. But for Mehail, those intense classes don’t scare her one bit.
“I have grown to enjoy the difficult nature of engineering and all of the specifics that civil engineering has to offer,” Mehail says. “I have learned that civil’s concentrations are what make it unique.”
Mehails hopes her future includes completing the fundamentals of the engineering exam, which is one of the first steps to becoming a licensed engineer. She is also looking at graduate schools for engineering law.
“There are many varieties of what type of engineering law I can choose from. Stemming off of my interest in water resources, I am eyeing studying water rights,” Mehail says.
Despite sexism that may exist within her field, she’s confident she can make an impact.
“Being a woman in STEM, it may seem difficult to become a leader in a field dominated by men,” Mehail says. “With my confidence and knowledge, however, I believe I will be able to become a leader in my field.”
I have high aspirations for myself. A goal that I have for my future is happiness. Along with engineering, marketing, law, and music … If I’m not happy something must change.
— Rachel Mehail
Cheryl Amankwah – junior, College of Nursing
“A quality of being a good leader is someone that is resourceful,” Amankwah says, as she pushes to be in women’s health in the future. “I feel like through my journey so far in nursing school, I have a good grasp of things in terms of developing better study skills, navigating through tough classes, increased confidence in talking to professors.”
Her educational journey is thanks to her family. Amankwah grew up watching her mom work part time while being in nursing school and her dad work full time. Yet, she says they never complained about the work they do.
“They always said that, ‘I want my kids to have the childhood that I never had.’ For this reason, I want my parents to be proud of me. I take my education very seriously because without my family I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Amankwah says.
Destiny Hill – junior, College of Health Sciences
As a member of the diversity equity and inclusion committee at her Clinical Practicum for Speech Pathology, Hill sees the lack of diversity within her speech pathology program. She also noticed how speech pathology, the study of speech and language problems, isn’t taught that much within the Black community, which she hopes to change.
Me as a Black individual, I didn’t know what speech pathology was (growing up). And a lot of Black communities don’t have the resources to receive speech and hearing therapy … I’m hoping to open a clinic in underprivileged communities so that I can provide those resources for people who don’t have them.
— Destiny Hill
Along with the clinic, Hill is a part of Speech Buddies, a program that helps children with speech and language issues. She is also apart of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, and a general body member of the different Black organizations at Marquette, like Black Student Council. Her involvement on campus has allowed her to become a leader.
“I try to get involved as much as possible and just contribute in any way that I can. And to be a mentor too, just because I felt like that I didn’t really have a mentor since I’ve been here,” Hill says.
Mac Ryan – first year, College of Business Administration
Nurtured with a profound interest in the global market, Ryan comes from a long lineage of leaders involved in the inner mechanisms of commodity exchange. Because of this, he chose business. He plans on double majoring in either finance and supply chain or accounting and supply chain.
“I decided on these because of the advantage I will have by knowing both the analytics and financial side of business, as well as the logistical side,” Ryan says in an email.
The question of leadership regarding business has become increasingly relevant in today’s age. The heads of companies can be indistinguishable in power and influence from that of political leaders. For Ryan, a good leader can go into a group and lead from within.
“They are role models who can motivate a group to reach an objective, while also holding high standards, being assertive yet caring and working to better other’s lives,” Ryan says in an email.
Ryan also believes the Marquette curriculum gives great preparation for students after their undergrad journey.
“The way Marquette has structured their curriculum, for example adding discovery tiers and requiring students to take classes outside of their majors, sets our graduates apart as they have a more broad understanding of people and life, therefore making them better leaders,” Ryan says in an email.
While their journeys may take different paths, the impact these students can have on the real world can be the difference.
This story was written by Rashad Alexander and Danny Nicpon. They can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected].
