Code for a Cure
How being an Engineer helps me fight
Pediatric Cancer
Engineers affect the health, happiness and safety of our
world. You’ll hear that a lot from us. And it’s true. The kinds of problems
that Engineers tackle and the solutions they invent have the potential to make
a huge impact on everyone.
But here’s something you may not
have realized: you don’t have to wait until you graduate to start making a
difference as an Engineer. You can start changing the world here. Now. While
you’re a Penn State Student. Two ways you can get started is through an
organization like Engineers without Borders or the Humanitarian Engineering and
Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) program. Both of these allow you to design
solutions to real-world problems in developing countries (and go there to
implement them!) while still an Engineering student. 
Another way to make a difference is through THON. Well sure, you say, but can’t anyone THON? How does being an Engineering come into play? Trust me, only an Engineer could THON the way I do. You see, I’m a Technology Captain and the Lead PASS Developer for THON 2013. The PASS system is an Event Management System that manages and tracks floor access during THON Weekend. It’s a program, a piece of software. And it’s coded entirely from the ground up by students at Penn State. My job is to lead six other developers in designing and implementing the PASS System, striving to make it a commercial-grade piece of software. As a Computer Science Major, I have the opportunity to apply the programming skills and software engineering principles I’ve been taught in my classes to help fight Pediatric Cancer, a worthy cause if there ever was one. There’s not a lot of majors that give you the chance to actually use what you learn in class in order to make an impact while you’re still in school and that’s one of the things I love about Engineering.
There are many way to make a difference as an Engineering student at Penn State. How will you make a difference?
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