On Tuesday, April 17, the MSMS Engineering Club welcomed Jennifer Ziegler as their guest speaker.

Jennifer Ziegler is an MSMS alumna who now works at an engineering firm in Jackson.

“I met Ms. Ziegler at the Capitol Day. She is an alumna who is working for an engineering firm in Jackson. So in talking with her, she was excited to come and speak to our students,” Engineering Club President Daniel Smothers explained.

This meeting, showcased in Shackleford Auditorium, was a great learning experience for both members of the Engineering Club and all other students interested in the engineering field. While this meeting counted as a wellness credit, students who showed up to this event were well entertained.

“The meeting was to expose the students to an engineer and what they do. She discussed her work, her experience and other things. She did very well, got students involved, and kept the discussion going,” Smothers said.

Ironically, however, many students left the discussion with a new perspective on management to the engineering world.

“I learned that engineering is a lot about politics and who is in charge at the current moment. The projects that get funding are very dependent on politics,” senior Jim Zhang observed. “It’s important for scientists and engineers to become politicians and run the country instead of people who get political science degrees. As a whole, this experience was definitely worth my time.”

Smothers explained, “I learned a lot as to the daily life of an engineer, what things can look like, and how busy it can get at times.”

Overall, Ms. Ziegler’s presentation seemed to be a success.

“I think that she captured the audience’s’ attention, and kept them entertained. She made jokes throughout the presentation, answered plenty of questions and talked a lot about what she does in her work. Overall, I believe everyone learned a lot from what she said, and I believe that everyone enjoyed her speaking to them.”