Investing in our Future Generation

Scott Brodie, Electrical Engineer at Shell Deer Park, was challenged to step outside of his day-to-day role of maintaining safe and stable operations. He choose to work with DPISD and saw a need to engage the next generation of future engineers in the Deer Park Independent School District (DPISD).

That challenge was all it took for the Engineering Symposium to be born. An annual event that see Shell Deer Park and DPISD come together in the classroom visit from Shell and again at the manufacturing complex.

For Scott, the symposium is a chance to pay it forward. “Looking back, you see everyone who invested in your life, you need to step back and invest in the lives of others,” he said. Scott credits the support from his father as he went through school and eventually chose to enter the engineering field adding, “I feel that I’ve been blessed and want to be a blessing.”

The program, now in its 7^th year, usually sees between 20-25 students tour the site and gives them a chance to delve into the many fields of engineering, including: civil, electrical, chemical, mechanical, process and control systems. On the site tour, students choose which field they’re most interested in and sit with that engineer to get a look at where they work, the type of equipment they’re responsible for and ask questions on that discipline or general question about entering university, the workforce, or working for an international organization.

Scott compares the symposium to that of test driving a new vehicle where you check out the different features. Students who excel in math and science are often interested in engineering but with many different disciplines you need to know where to start.

Through the symposium, students are given a chance to learn from others’ experiences and make an informed decision on their next steps of education. While the program covers the many fields of engineering, there’s one message that Scott hopes students remember as they enter their careers, “you have to love what you do, if you love what you do you’ll excel in your profession.”