News & Events

The University of Rochester’s student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers sent 22 members to the society’s Fall Regional Conference in Syracuse, NY. Attendees got the opportunity to interact with students from other chapters in the northeastern region, professionals at Fortune 500 companies, and representatives from graduate schools across the nation. Some students, such as Jaden Addae, Computer Science ’25, left the conference having secured summer internships, while others, like Samuel Sylvestre, Mechanical Engineering ’23, left having secured full-time job offers. In addition to this, students benefited from the workshop sessions held such as cybersecurity, how to study, engineering graduate school for free, the art of negotiation, eliminating self-defeating behavior, and many more.

NSBE conferences are always a great opportunity for students to get reinspired and more equipped to pursue their professional and academic goals. Below, a few NSBE students reflect on their conference experience.

“I knew that FRC would be a great time to get to know what opportunities are out there in the engineering world and how I fit into the roles that are available, but what caught me off guard was all of the opportunities that were available to connect with other NSBE members. Going to a predominantly white school, I often don’t see other minority students on campus at all much less minority students that have the same aspirations as me. Many of the members from other NSBEs were extremely friendly and helpful. It was nerve racking thinking about getting up in front of recruiters and trying to sell myself as a good candidate for different positions, but listening to other NSBE members’ past experiences and their advice made me feel way more comfortable.” – Kaleab Tefera, ECE ‘25

“Attending the NSBE 2022 Region 1 Conference was an invaluable experience that gave me an opportunity to speak to various companies and graduate schools in a way that an email couldn’t. I also had the chance to connect with NSBE members like me from all over Region 1 that shared the same interests as me and go through the same hardships I went through to become the undergraduate I am today. The numerous workshops and events helped to hone my professional portfolio (notably during the resume workshops) and learn more about what the paths I wanted to follow had in store for me. The competitions were also very fun and the zone bonding exercises gave the chapter attendees and I a newfound sense of belonging.” – Samson Tsegai, CSC ‘24

“During the conference, I applied to a couple of positions from various companies. One thing I’d definitely take away from the application process is to not be narrow minded about position titles. When applying I was specifically looking for positions that said ‘biomedical engineer’ cause that’s what I was majoring in, but I realized that there are other positions that I’m qualified for and I’d essentially do the same work. I also sent follow ups to recruiters who gave me their personal information, but nonetheless I learned a lot about how to network, be engaging and ask questions.” – Mariam Bamba, BME ‘24