STEM education provides options for ESFB president

DETROIT (Feb. 28, 2014) - Maria Guido, a mechanical engineering junior and president of the Engineering Student Faculty Board (ESFB), is interested in pursuing a career in hybrid vehicles. She's also interested in aviation. And architecture. With her education in mechanical engineering, Guido is preparing for all three and keeping her options open.

	Guido poses with Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Services Darin Ellis at the College of Engineering's 2013 Honors Convocation. Guido received the Dean's List award, Tau Beta Pi's Outstanding Freshman/Sophomore Award, and the W.F. Letts Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

"I first became interested in mechanical engineering when I saw the jet engines at the Henry Ford Museum," says Guido. "I thought the machinery looked amazing and I wanted to know how they worked."

Fueled by this interest, Guido decided to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. She is currently getting hands-on engineering experience through a work study program at Ford Motor Company. Guido is working on hybrid vehicles as an electrified powertrain systems engineer, an area she says she can see herself working in someday. In addition to engineering, Guido is also minoring in art and might incorporate that into her career.

"I took fine arts classes all throughout high school and went to a life drawing camp at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor," says Guido. "I might go the route of industrial design or architecture once I graduate."

Adding to her work and academic schedule, Guido also choreographs contemporary dance and practices pointe, ballet, jazz and tap. Additionally, she belongs to Tau Beta Pi and the Society of Women Engineers. This busy schedule may sound daunting, but Guido says she embraces the challenges as important learning experiences.

Whatever Guido chooses to pursue, she says her experiences at the Wayne State College of Engineering have prepared her.

"My most valuable experience at the College of Engineering has been working as hard as I can in a class but not getting the grade I wanted," says Guido. "This reinforced the idea that as long as you work as hard as you can, that's all that matters. This is what I do in all aspects of my life. I do the best I can and am satisfied with the outcome. As long as you do what you can and are completely honest about it, that's the most important lesson you can learn."

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Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students. For more information about engineering at Wayne State University, visit engineering.wayne.edu.