From Childhood Dream to University Journey: My Path to Becoming a Chemical Engineer

Abstract

From an early age, children harbor vivid dreams of their ideal future professions, fueling their aspirations and shaping their journey toward fulfilling careers. A dream that starts prior to school and grows along the journey. In this paper, I delve into the intricate factors that shaped my aspiration to become an engineer and how they molded my professional engineering identity. I adopted autoethnography and narrative inquiry approaches, delving into personal experiences and employing qualitative research methods. Through this exploration, I uncover the profound impact of societal perception theory and social learning theory on shaping my career aspirations from an early age. Reflecting on my own journey as a chemical engineering student, I trace my fascination with science back to my childhood and unveil the pivotal decision to pursue chemical engineering. Within this paper, I extensively discuss the educational environment, teaching methods, and familial influences that played crucial roles in shaping my chosen path. Furthermore, I tackle the challenges encountered throughout my university education, encompassing academic hardships, technical assessments, and the abrupt transition to online learning necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these obstacles, my unwavering passion for chemical engineering was revitalized through hands-on application and interdisciplinary courses. This study places great emphasis on the significance of comprehensive engineering education in fostering the development of essential professional skills, critical thinking prowess, and problem-solving abilities. It serves as a testament to the multifaceted nature of engineering education and its profound influence in shaping an individual's engineering identity. Through this meticulous exploration, I aim to provide valuable insights into the underlying dynamics that drive individuals towards engineering as a profession and contribute to the broader understanding of engineering education's transformative power.