February 10, 2011
Even though aerospace engineering senior Bryse Ed has poured her heart into the Cockrell School, she was shocked when she received one of the school's most prestigious accolades, the Student Leadership Award in Engineering.
"I was really honored," she said. "I've put in a lot of time, and I was really excited to see that all the work I've done has paid off."
Six Student Leadership Awards, with a $200 check and name recognition on a permanent plaque, are given each year to students who have held leadership positions in engineering student organizations, have positively affected the Cockrell School community and have dedicated themselves to overcoming obstacles and pursuing their visions.
Nominated by Tricia Berry, Director of the Women in Engineering Program, Ed has held several leadership positions in engineering organizations throughout her undergraduate career. As a freshman, she chaired the retention and recruitment committee of the Society of Women Engineers, and she served as Student Engineering Council representative for SWE her sophomore year. She is now serving her second year as SWE treasurer.
“I’ve always loved science and thought engineering was the best option because it was an applied science," Ed said. "I wanted to do something hands-on, and I think that's why I also fell in love with WIALD so much."
Ed joined the Women in Aerospace for Leadership and Development (WIALD) organization at its inception last year and spent much of her summer working on WIALD's project with Fredericksburg High School in which WIALD members built the payload for the nose cone of a rocket built by the high school students.
"It was the first hands-on opportunity I've gotten to experience with a team," she said. "Doing that project with WIALD is what I've enjoyed about my college experience the most."
Although Ed is still trying to determine exactly what she wants to do in her field, she knows she wants to enter the workforce immediately after graduating next year.
"I like the business and the hands-on sides of engineering," she said. "The business side gives me a better idea of how to handle the overall planning of a project."
For now, she is looking forward to seeing what her systems engineering class is like this semester and is happy to learn all she can about aerospace.
"Since I was really little, I've always loved looking at the stars and anything having to do with space," she said.
