Chidiebere Okekeozor,REP®

My Journey to Becoming an Environmental Engineer: Thanksgiving Musings
Dated: Thanksgiving Day, 2023 - USA.

Growing up, I was certain that engineering was my career path, but the specific track within engineering remained a mystery. My love for mathematics sparked my interest in engineering, but I soon discovered that the practice of engineering was more about technicality than arithmetic.

In my pre-high school years, I fantasized about pursuing chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and biomedical engineering. However, with the advent of the computer age, my interests drifted towards computer engineering during high school. Eventually, I settled on civil engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Minna (Nigeria), driven by my passion for public works and community development.

Studying civil engineering, however, led me to witness the devastating environmental impacts of deforestation and industrial practices. This experience ignited a disdain for engineering within me, as I saw how these practices contributed to the pollution of our environment (air, water,soil and climate change). I contemplated quitting engineering to pursue an environmental program. But before making any hasty decisions, I conducted extensive research on engineering and its various disciplines and sub-disciplines (details of which are available in my book[First Edition], “A-Z Directory of Engineering Professions”).

During this research, I discovered Environmental Engineering, a field unknown to me and not offered at my institution. The silver lining was that it was a sub-discipline of my current program, Civil Engineering. This discovery allowed me to redefine my engineering career with a focus on “re-engineering our environment for better habitation”.

I began my journey with the basics of civil engineering and then transitioned to environmental engineering, specifically focusing on "Waste Process Engineering" i.e “Recycling”.

The University of Stuttgart (Germany), through their "Master's Degree in Air Quality Control, Solid Waste, and Wastewater Process Engineering", provided me with the necessary education to become a seasoned Environmental Professional.

I've come to realize that Mondays can only be beautiful for those who are living their dream careers. This is because it inspires proactivity, creativity, and progressiveness. There's never a dull moment for those who practice their profession with a sense of purpose.

Environmental engineering is engineering for the safety and health of the Earth. We practice recycling, waste treatment, and other safe practices to ensure the health of the environment (air quality, water quality, etc.), people, and other living beings. We lead projects focused on waste, environment and sustainability.

Today, being Thanksgiving Day in the "land of dreams, America", I have no other option than to express my gratitude to God for guiding me to my profession in Environmental Engineering.