Engineering Career Connections hosted its inaugural Experience Circles Showcase this spring, celebrating the creativity and professional growth of participating students guided by their mentors. Over the fall and spring semesters, 20 students worked alongside industry and faculty mentors to design and implement impactful projects.

One participant, Xavier Taylor-Rouse, a senior mechanical engineering student, built an automated nutrient delivery system for plants as part of his Experience Circles project. "The system uses specialized computer devices to monitor and regulate pH and total dissolved solid levels, providing a smart solution for controlled nutrient management in agriculture and hydroponics," Xavier shared.

Reflecting on his experience, he added, "This program helped me bridge the gap between academic projects and real-world applications. My mentors taught me to think like an engineer in the industry, focusing on documentation, systems thinking and scalable design, which gave me confidence and clarity for my future career."

Xavier Taylor-Rouse

Robyn Williams, left, and Liam Claus, Mentor of the Year.

Experience Circles was created to provide support, resources and mentorship to undergraduate engineering students through personal projects and research. The program culminated in a showcase where students presented their outcomes to peers, mentors, faculty and staff.

"Throughout the program, students engaged in career readiness and project management activities to bolster their professional skills, while translating classroom learning into practical, career-ready competencies and fostering meaningful mentor relationships," said Robyn Williams, associate director of Career Engagement.

This program would not have been possible without the dedication of its mentors. Engineering Career Connections' Mentor of the Year recipient, Liam Claus, guided students throughout both the fall and spring semesters. He remarked, "Watching a student take in new information and guidance, digest that guidance and then act on it is always a pleasure. Observing this personal and professional growth is one of the reasons I enjoy mentoring so much. However, each time I participate, I learn and grow from the students as well."

Claus is co-founder of Advanced hCMOS Systems LLC.

Mentor Steven Hryniewicz, a data intelligence engineer with LSI, shared, "I really liked that the program was designed to target students who wouldn't typically be involved in opportunities like this. I would have been one of the students to benefit from it. It's encouraging to know there are more resources to help students build professional confidence while on campus."

For more information about Experience Circles and upcoming opportunities, students can visit Engineering Career Connections' website, and employers can visit the College of Engineering's website.