I joined Computing for Compassion at Baylor because I wanted to apply my growing skills beyond the classroom and help others see a future for themselves in technology. One of our most ambitious initiatives was launching an after-school computer science and technology club for middle and high school students in Waco. What began as an idea quickly became a challenge that required ownership and taught me how to communicate, adapt, and connect. We were a group of college students excited to apply our academic knowledge. However, translating that excitement into something engaging and digestible for teenagers wasn’t easy. Early on, we realized that the curriculum, energy, and engagement we brought weren’t connecting. Students showed up out of curiosity but often disengaged within minutes. Coordinating with local schools posed its own challenges, progress moved slowly, funding was limited, and our initial lessons felt disconnected from the students' daily lives. That’s when I learned to lean into listening. We introduced open feedback, allowing students to vote on topics they wanted to explore each week. Instead of just teaching code, we brought real-world demos: we took apart PCs, explained how cameras worked, connected code to tangible outcomes, and talked about how technology powers things they already love and how they could be part of building those things. We found ways to make it interactive, and I personally brought snacks each week, believing that engagement starts with comfort. I also worked to strengthen communication within our team. Weekly check-ins with fellow volunteers helped us delegate tasks, stay aligned, and troubleshoot what wasn’t working. I reached out to professors for advice and guest appearances and worked to keep the energy high even when attendance fluctuated. Slowly but surely, we started getting traction. By the end of the semester, students weren’t just showing up they were asking questions, staying after, and telling us they wanted to study engineering. Three now plan to pursue STEM degrees, and the club has continued since I graduated. That impact on them, on our team, and on me has shaped how I see leadership. Genuine leadership means stepping back when needed, listening, adapting, and making sure everyone feels like they’re part of something meaningful. In my future career, I plan to carry this same spirit. As an aspiring leader in space systems engineering, I know that both the boldest ideas and the smallest details only matter if people can understand them and use them to improve lives. Teaching these students taught me how to break down complex ideas, generate interest in technical fields, build trust with people from different backgrounds, and communicate effectively with groups. Whether I’m mentoring interns, walking a client through a design, or building my own engineering team, these lessons will stick with me. Leadership, to me, means creating momentum. Achieving something meaningful is never a solo effort it’s about helping others feel like they belong in the room and on the team. That’s the kind of leader I strive to be.

My name is Izuka Ikedionwu. I am nineteen years old and currently live in Arlington, Texas. My parents were both born in Nigeria and migrated to the United States of America in the early 90’s to further their education. Half of my childhood was living near a military base in Lawton-Fort Sill, Oklahoma and a small rural Southern town called Cookeville, Tennessee. When I was in 7th grade, my parents went through a tumultuous divorce leaving my mother the sole provider for our family and my father relocating to Nigeria. This was especially difficult because my mother was going through nursing school at the time. After I graduated high school, we moved for the fourth time in three years, relocating 800 miles and 2 states over to the outskirts of Dallas, Texas. I spent last summer after a socially distant graduation, navigating a new place amidst COVID starting my first semester at Baylor University. I am currently finishing up my first year at Baylor University as an electrical engineering major and mathematics minor. I am an active member of Baylor Aero, a club that designs, constructs, and flies 3D printed planes by applying the principles of aeronautics and electrical engineering. Additionally, I am a member of NSBE, the National Society of Black Engineers, where I meet and am mentored by like minded individuals who look like me. I do not know exactly what I want to do for my career not because nothing particularly sparks my interest but the opposite. Numerous paths in the field of electrical engineering interest me immensely. You will be working in the same field of electric engineering but your career or path or job may be different. I want the core of my career to be using electrical engineering to help those in need. I could see myself doing this through researching and developing new technologies that can provide electrical power to the remote and rural communities that do not currently receive stable and sustainable access. Additionally, I want to work with current methods of distribution and management to make them less expensive, more accessible, and more effective for consumers. Finally, I am interested in using my experience and ingenuity to make a company more efficient in the production and implementation of the power systems that will help the people in the target areas. My ultimate goal can be achieved from numerous angles and I hope the next 3 years of college will both zero in on the best path for me and equip me with the skills to do in the best way possible. I am preparing to achieve my goals through my hard work, perseverance, and my drive. My degree from Baylor University will give me the foundational skills needed to be a good electrical engineer; I went the extra mile to ensure I am the best at what I do by minoring in mathematics since that is a key component of engineering. I am preparing myself by taking these courses and working hard to excel in them: I made the Dean’s Academic Honors list my first semester of college by earning a 3.75 GPA or higher. Along with my academics, I am developing the necessary skills outside of textbooks and classrooms. Being an NSBE member can help me navigate college more effectively and connect me with skill-based opportunities like internships and research positions. I am currently applying to summer internships and research positions so that I can gain hands-on experience in my desired industry. This will put me in the best position to pursue jobs as companies that want to make similar impacts on the world as I do. Above all, I am developing myself personally and mentally. I incorporate self-improvement strategies into my daily life to ensure that I am becoming the best version of myself. Through self-discipline, healthy habits, and a consistent workout routine, I am making sure I have the mental wellbeing and mental capacity to take on the hardships, challenges, and obstacles that my life may encounter on my journey to impacting the lives of others.