Neopets

So I don't know how many of you played Neopets as a young kid, but I definitely DID. 


For those of you who don't know what Neopets is it's a virtual world where you are given a pet and you are in charge.  The majority of the game deals with your shop, obtaining Neopoints, and figuring about cheap ways to feed your pet (if at all).:-)

At this point, your probably asking..."Serena, how does Neopets even remotely resemble engineering?" I'll give you 4 ways:

1. This game is about commerce. The world of ours revolves around commerce and the economy.  You own a shop, and you need to do everything in your power to sell your stuff/ not get it stolen from the ghosts.
2. Finance skills. You set up a bank account and collect interest.  I think it's a great way to show kids how their money grows in the bank.  Also, you build a shop, where you can sell things.  I would often undercut the market price to ensure that my items would sell... That is called business. :-)
3. Programming skills.  I learned how to program HTML for my shop.  I started doing this because was jealous of other kids whose shops would overflow with backgrounds and icons.  All I really remember is <img src= " ">, but it was definitely a start.  What kid site teaches them how to program?!
4. Efficiency.  You name the game, but my goal was to get as much money as possible.  This means that you don't play the games that give you only 50 neopoints per play...You find that game, and you dominate!

I was talking about this with other SWE girls, and we all talked about our slightly coy childhoods of ripping people off and finding the best ways to deal with a "free market." I think it's the closest thing to real life that kids can get involved in....The sad thing now is that they have commercials for the games :-(

Maintaining Foresight

After telling someone my major, I usually get the following response: “Um, Wow.  So why did you pick engineering?” Sometimes I’m dumbfounded, but then realize that not everyone is me.  It can be difficult for others to comprehend why engineers chose what they do, especially in these wondrous years of college.  This can even lead to you pondering the choice, especially after the countless all-nighters and numerous ounces of caffeine consumed over the years; “Why didn’t I just pick Psychology?”

Well, I have an answer: Maintain Foresight.  It’s useful regardless of situation.  Why did YOU choose this major?  The following reasons should NOT be the main reason why you wake up groggy every day.

1. The money.
2. My parents told me to do it.
3. I like math.

Okay, now don’t get all controversial with me.  Let me tell you why these are not good reasons.  

1. You can make a ton more money in other professions.  The hefty paycheck is a nice incentive, but should not be the ONLY incentive.  
2. It’s your life, live it!  Your parents want what’s best for you, but if you truly aren’t into the-whole-I’m-doing-math-all-the-time thing, you are probably are in the wrong major (If you can use your abilities to your fullest, I would go for that…most parents just want to see their kids to be successful).  Also, I never want to get out of bed saying, “I’m learning heat transfer because my mom-told-me-so.”  Sorry, Mom.  
3. Math is the basis of engineering principles.  However, MATH does not equal ENGINEERING.  Again, an incentive, but shouldn't be the main reason.

So I’ll admit.  I’ve used these answers a time or two.  To be honest, these answers do not maintain a strong argument with you or your inquirer.  Here are the questions I ask myself:

1. What inspired you?  Machines?  Astronauts?  The Shuttles?  I always dreamt about being in the flight room during shuttle takeoff;  I would probably start smoking if I took that job, haha.  My other dream job: the packaging engineer who makes it possible to get everything inside a 2x2x1 box….but never back in once you take it out…  I always know that person is semi-genius.
2. Who do you look up to?  I often refer to the JPL engineer as my reference.  But there are certain faculty in MAE, where I say, “I want to be in her place in 15 years…”

These two questions have helped me maintain foresight during a set of homework problems.  Where did you come from and where do you want to go?  Keep these questions in mind, and nothing will sway you from your dreamsJ. 

Wes Moore

Part of the Leadership Colloquium at NASA GSFC, I had the opportunity to see Wes Moore speak.  His book, The Other Wes Moore finds parallels between Wes Moore (a Rhodes Scholar) and Wes Moore (a man sentenced to life in prison).  The writer, Wes Moore, evaluates what went "wrong," especially since both of them grew up blocks away from each other in Baltimore and were very troublesome in their early youth.  

Wes's goal is to inspire youth throughout the nation to motivate them to do great.  He says the problem with crime and "bad" neighborhoods is education.  Instead of expecting young men to go to jail, we should raise our expectations of the younger generation, inspiring them to do GREAT things.

I, personally, am going to read the book once I get it from Amazon :-)

However, he inspired me to do something greater... reach out to those who are "wandering."  So today I turned in my application to mentor kids and teenagers.  I'm looking forward to my interview call...