Before traveling to Malawi last summer to take part in an Engineers Without Borders project, Abigail Johnson had never traveled outside of the United States. During this “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she worked to design and implement a water distribution and sanitation system at a local school.
Prior to the launch of their project, the school had no on-site source of water. Students and staff had to walk half a kilometer several times a day to get water for the school, significantly disrupting the educational experience and contributing to sickness caused by poor hygiene.
“The community emphasized how excited they were for these projects,” says Johnson. “They’ve said that it has made a huge difference by keeping the students in school, hydrated, and hygienic.”
Johnson was grateful for the opportunity to test and refine her technical skills in a real-world setting. But just as importantly, the experience helped her develop her communication skills and gave her a better sense of the impact she wants to make in her future career.
“The main reason I wanted to go into engineering was because I wanted to help people,” she says. “[In Malawi] I did a lot of community engagement … it was amazing to see how much our engineering really impacted their day-to-day lives.”
