Jenny Haney is a mechanical engineer for PAE Consulting Engineers. Here’s what she shared about her experience as an engineering major at Calvin:
How has your education set you apart from the many others in the engineering field?
The engineering job I landed post-grad was a direct result of the blend of my liberal arts and engineering courses. More specifically, it was thanks to my sustainability designation. For context, the company I work for, PAE, is a consulting firm that designs high-performing buildings with a focus on energy efficiency. People and nature are the company’s driving forces.
When I interviewed for my position, they had never heard of a sustainability designation. And they were very intrigued by the unique skill set I could bring. I suddenly wasn’t just another aspiring mechanical engineer who wanted to work for their company. But rather, I was a mechanical engineer who was readily equipped with tools that complemented the company’s mission.
How were topics like social and environmental justice woven into your engineering classes?
My professors never shied away from the contemporary and social issues facing the times we were studying in. The integration of faith and engineering was a thread that ran through all four years of my education. Together as an engineering class, we wrestled with what it truly means to be a Christian engineer. We dealt with concepts like creation care in an industrial society and engineering ethics in a socially corrupt world.
Do you have advice for students thinking about pursuing engineering at Calvin?
Engineering will test your limits, but it’s worth it. You control your college experience. Build real relationships with your professors. Struggle together. You will remember those late nights in the engineering building—not because of the thermodynamics homework but because of the relationships built with those working around you. Get to know the brilliant thinkers in the GEO lounge, Hiemenga Hall, the Fish House, the Fieldhouse, or wherever you choose to branch out. Learn to listen. Discover what you’re passionate about, and pursue it fearlessly. Choose joy. And travel as much as possible!
How is faith part of the conversation at Calvin?
Calvin takes the role of the church very seriously, and because of that I often wrestled with my role in this broken world. But God, using opportunities at Calvin, continued to provide avenues for me to explore my vocation.
As I leave Calvin, I leave with more questions for my Creator than there are answers on this earth. But I’m also leaving with a much more deeply rooted faith and faith community than I ever had going in.