Speech at E-12 high school recruitment program Dallas - 020909

Last two weekends was superbowl Sunday. And I must confess to you all, only recently have I started to appreciate American football. Originally from Nigeria, out there and in several other countries around the world, we have a different idea of what football (which is called soccer here) is. My initial confusion when I first saw a game of American football was….that aside from the first kick to the quarterback the ball was in the air or being carried by the runner for much of the time. There was hardly any kicking or footballing, and I thought a more appropriate name for the game might have been handball… but thats the name of another game altogether??? Anyway, so, you can appreciate that it has taken me a little while to begin understand and actually love the game. Now I am starting to watch professional football, college football, and every high school football. And Last weekend, I learnt something new about American football. I knew that at the end of a touch down, teams would kick the ball for an extra point. But I just learnt that there is another option after the touch down aside from kicking the ball, a team can actually decide to go for a two point conversion in which the team can either throw or run the ball to the end zone. But, there is a reason that we don’t see two point conversions more often – this is because they actually have a much less probability of success 40 – 55 % versus a 95% chance of success for a kick. I heard a story last weekend about an unlikely winner in the finals of the 2007 high school Arkinsas state championship title between a veteran seasoned team Shiloh Christian and an unlikely candidate Glen Rose. Shiloh Christian was a season team because they had numerous state championship titles. Many of their players went on to play division 1 college football and eventually went pro… And many of their coaches were nationally known names. Glen Rose on the other hand had never played at the state level before. They were a B-level public school from a small rural town with very little funds. At the end of regulation fourth quarter both teams were tied 27-27. They move on the overtime Shiloh Christian gets the ball first, they score and then go for the extra point… so they are up by 7 points. Next, glen rose gets the ball. On the second play, they make a touch down. Now they have to make a decision and their gutsy coach Billy Elmore makes a judgment call to send everybody out to the field for a two point conversion. The successful pass lifted Glen Rose to a win over Shiloh Christian for the first time ever… the score was 35-34 and the game ended in favor of Glen rose. You can imagine the celebration… it captured the excitement shared by all when somebody takes a risk, attempts something new, and it pays off. When the coach was approached after the game by a famous journalist and asked “sir what were you thinking when you made the call for a two point conversion. Did it not cross your mind “What if you failed” the coach replied… it sure did, but a more important question I answered was what if I succeed.Risk means moving out of your comfort zone and going for the extra that turns ordinary into extra-ordinary. It means attempting to do what no one else before you has done, because while there are possibilities of failure, if you focus on the possibility of success, you would have moved one giant leap ahead. Risk taking is often inevitable in order to experience some measure of success. It is easy to sit on the side lines and don’t aim too high in case we fail and are disappointed, but I submit to you that many many great would-have been accomplishments have died on the boat of complacency and mediocrity. To take a risk, we must overcome the fear in us that asks the question, what if we fail, and replace that with the faith that asks what if we don’t. When we take risks, we ask of ourselves the greatest commitment to our endevours, and somehow, the universe conspires to help us too. I remember when I first enrolled at the Engineering department at Texas A & M University. I had applied and had prayed so hard that I would be awarded a fellowship for my graduate school. When the list of scholars was published in the first week of school, I was very disappointed to find that my name was not included. I had 48 hours to withdraw from school and receive some refund on my initial tuition payment. Mentally, I did that math and figured I could not afford the fees, and I did the safe thing. Early the next morning, I wrote to the department asking to withdraw… nothing risky about that. By noon, I received an email from the then Associate dean of my faculty to visit with her. She wanted to know why I was withdrawing, and after I told her I did not c how I could afford the tuition, given that I had a family, she asked for my resume. I guess she must have found I had skills that a research lab in my department that was hiring was looking for. She put me in touch and I had part time job the next week that enabled me pay my tuition and bills. I decided to take the risk and go ahead and start. I did not yet know where my next semesters tuition would come from – THAT may seem foolish but I took a risk, I worked hard, and the next year, got a scholarship that covered a good bit of tuition and some unexpected assistance from family members. After the first year, I applied for the Sloan Foundation fellowship and was successful, and on and on each step of the way, something worked out to enable me continue and finish my education at TAMU. The point of this story is that there are plenty of opportunities to stop pursuing your dreams, to focus on the negative what ifs, to rest where you are comfortable because you are afraid of the unknown and unexplored. But in taking risk, you must venture out and push yourself higher and reach towards your dreams. I learnt three vital things from this experience as well as some other experiences at Texas A & M University that continue to shape my life: 1. Always always ask for help whenever you are stuck. Be honest about what you know or don’t know. Never be scared to say I don’t know or understand it. Be bold and confident in asking for help. I have never met anyone who knew everything. Especially in this information age, when knowledge is exploding at an alarming rate. Infact according to some studies, 70% of what we learn in school will be obsolete in 5 years. There is nothing like a dumb question, and don’t let anyone ever let you feel that way. There are actually many people out there that are willing to help and people who don’t ask miss out. Don’t re-invent the wheel when you could use that time in innovations. 2. The importance of fostering relationships with mentors that can help you along the way. Like we say, find someone who has been there, done that and got a T-shirt. They are successful at what they do. For me, Prof Butler Purry became that through my carrier in A & M and I cannot tell you how many opportunites and doors she has pointed me to, including standing here before you all as the guest speaker. Identify people who have your best interest at heart and can assist you reach your goals and cultivate a relationship with them. 3. Set goals and be consistent. Never give up and never give in. Don’t let anyone run you off track from your dream and don’t ever get offended or emotional and quit. Hard work pays no matter what other people may think. My dad used to tell me that “Hard work never did kill anyone!”. Many people have asked me how I got through school with a family. Get up every day, One day at a time, and do what I was supposed to do. Don’t let yourself fall behind. Lets talk a little bit about why considering a career in Engineering is crucial Courses like engineering, the sciences, math and technology related fields is now, and will increasingly be, the universal languages of the global marketplace. A career in engineering will provide opportunities for you to enjoy leadership positions in the future workplace. An engineering education prepares you for the challenges and opportunities in today’s 21st century economy -- not just for careers as a engineer. Recently, the National Science Foundation published a shocking statistic: An estimated 80% of the jobs created over the next decade will require some form of math, science or engineering skills. That is 4 out of 5 jobs by the time you are leaving college need the problem solving skills you will acquire in engineering school. Knowing this, how can we prepare adequately for the future. What kind of career should we be considering to stay competitive in the future. Civil engineering, Mechanical Engr, Electrical Engr, Computer Engr, aeronautical Engr, petroleum engr, chemical engr, industrial and systems engr, nuclear engineers – These are some of the engineering fields that can position us well in the global economy to solve 21st century problems such as creating renewable green energy, using bioinformatics to solve the security risks of the future, providing improved integrated communications and personal entertainment solutions, building energy efficient cars and airplanes that travel faster with less environmental impact, innovative military solutions, novel designs for bridges, dams roads etc. Engineering careers prepare you for innovation. I like what my mentor always says.. don’t just tell me there is a problem and stop there. Engineers think of creative ideas and solutions on how to get around the real world problems. Problem-solving has been the path by which some of the most amazing inventions and technologies exists in the market today -- because one engineer had an idea. Think about iPods, Roomba Vacuum cleaners, electric, hydrogen and fuel cell cars, rockets, plasma TVs, pacemakers, airplanes, wind farms and on and on. Let me ask you one question… Given that information is exploding at an alarming rate, engineering companys asked how can we make information easily accessible in anywhere anytime… Companies like Google, phone companies, Semi conductor companies like TI, are thinking about these problems. For me, a nagging question I ask often is… how can we bridge the technology divide in developing countries and get those smart students who live in poor countries to get plugged into the global superhigh way of learning at a lower cost that they can afford. In countries where the average student cannot afford a laptop or a calculator, what innovative tailor-made solution can bring quality education to the class room? What new engineering inventions can solve issues such as clean water, disease eradication, and reducing pollution? One of the things I enjoyed a lot at TAMU Engineering department is the focus on solving real world problems. The professors are dedicated to cutting edge scholarly work that encourages students to think outside the box and view their engineering education in terms of how they can give back to society. At A & M students get hands on experience at real problem solving. I also enjoyed the interdisciplinary and inter departmental collaborations that goes on at Texas A & M. That is not a common thing in many big schools. But at A&M, the desire to learn and the drive to innovate encourages collaboration amongst the various departments. You will often find say a nuclear engineering major and an aeronautical engineer working on the same problem or a computer engineering major working with a bio engineering major on a gene expression problem. At the engineering faculty at A & M, if you find that your interest spans more than one department, speak up about it because the faculty would usually work to ensure that you are well engaged. TAMU is a very well known leader in Engineering education – they rank among the top 5 producers of undergraduate engineering degrees in the country with about 9000 students and 12 departments – I encourage you to visit their website and look at the facts about the department. Since inception the engineering faculty has produced several well known leaders and innovators, some of which are here tonight as distinguished guests from Texas Instruments. Many have served and continue to serve as leaders around the globe. More than the skills they acquired at A&M, is the aggie pride and high ethical standards – an aggie does not lie, cheat or steal. The tradition of a-CAN_DO attitude that instills self leadership and continuous learning, and affirms that we aggies are the best. I am also now experiencing the strength of the aggie alumni network – where ever you go, there is an Aggie willing and ready to teach, to mentor, to help. It feels like one big family! I think another point I want you to take away is that the world is changing at breakneck speed, presenting innumerable career opportunities for students with degrees in engineering fields. At the faculty of engineering at Texas A & M, you will obtain an education that will teach you how to make the world a better place. The question some people would ask is what if you fail… but the question I pose to you today is what if you don’t fail… what if you succeed. I wish you much success in your future endevours and hope you consider pursing an engineering career at TAMU. Thank you very much for your attention.