My name is Jordi De Jong, and I am a rising sophomore from Jones College studying Civil and Environmental Engineering. I want to work in the environmental field somehow and am starting with engineering to gain the practical and problem-solving skills to work in whatever field I choose post-graduation. I also plan on minoring in Environmental Studies because I think an interdisciplinary approach is necessary to confront modern environmental crises and come up with sustainable solutions. Outside of academics, I am a member of Spontaneous Combustion (improv), which I love! I also did acapella, but I’m hoping to get more involved with theater on campus next semester. Other fun facts: I am allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame seeds (debatably fun), I have a bunny, and I can play the ukulele! Hooray!
My expectations for iSEED aren’t super specific, but I’m definitely looking forward to learning all I can. This trip allows me to further my studies in civil engineering through practical coursework, travel to a country I have never been to before, form closer connections with engineering students and faculty, learn more about communities and cultures to which I have not been exposed, and discover how my future career can be implemented internationally. Testing and working on designs on site, in collaboration with local organizations, is an incredibly valuable opportunity to see how lessons learned inside the classroom apply in the real world. I intend to concentrate on environmental engineering within civil engineering, and have an interest in hydrology, so learning about the design process of water purification systems will hopefully help inform me on the potential career paths I could take within civil engineering.
yay! you’re very cool! have so much fun.