Engineering Programs Helped Montavius Eason Find His Path to Senior Walk

Despite coming from halfway across the state, thanks to the U of A’s Engineering Career Awareness Program, Montavius Eason already had “great friends” before arriving for his freshman year at the U of A.  

The program, also called ECAP, is designed to support students with financial need, particularly first-generation college students, as well as students from areas that are less well-represented at the U of A. ECAP offers financial assistance and a three-week summer bridge program to help students transition into university life. Throughout their time on campus, students receive continuous support and resources, including mentorship, professional development and career guidance. 

“The ECAP program ... served as a community, not only for me but for every student in the cohort,” he says. “It brought together students from different backgrounds who all had an interest in engineering. Seeing other students pursue engineering helped make the field feel more attainable and gave me a support system as I started my college journey.” 

Originally from Hope, Montavius started college with a focus on auto design but realized that it wasn’t a good fit for him. “Back in my hometown, engineering was not really a career that was talked about,” he says. “It was the ECAP program that really showed me what it was like to be an engineer and opened my eyes to the different career paths available within engineering.” 

Montavius also credits the First-Year Engineering Program for "solidifying” his decision to become an engineer. “It allowed me to learn about the different engineering disciplines while also getting hands-on experience,” he says. “Through that experience, I was able to see engineering in practice, and it played a major role in helping me decide that mechanical engineering was the right path for me.” 

During his time at the U of A, he’s completed an internship, worked as a research assistant and is now participating in a co-op as a project manager with ARCO in Rogers. “Because of those experiences, I decided to gear my education toward management as well as engineering,” he says. 

Montavius is set to graduate in December 2026 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in general business. He says his plans after graduation are to pursue master's degrees in engineering and business administration, with the goal of starting his own engineering firm one day. 

He says his college courses, along with the support from the ECAP program, helped prepare him for success after graduation.  

“I feel like everything I have done during my academic career has helped me get to where I am today,” he says.  

For more student success stories like Montavius', check out our other #MyPathToSeniorWalk features on the My Path to Senior Walk page. If you have story that you'd like told or know someone who has an inspiring story, please fill out a nomination form.