College of Engineering Hosts E-Day to Inspire Students

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama College of Engineering will host more than 1,000 students for a day dedicated to educating young students about the world of STEM.

E-Day will be from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5. The day will consist of lab tours where students will see one lab from each department, displays from student organizations and teams  and a lunch on Shelby Quad.

“[This day] helps clarify what it means to be in The College of Engineering and what it means to be an engineering student,” said Blythe Johnston, senior civil engineering major and vice president of events for the Ambassadors of the College of Engineering, from Albuquerque, New Mexico. “Just trying to inspire that interest in STEM is a really important aspect.”

Although the overall goal of the day is to encourage high school students to explore STEM, a big part of the event is to get them excited about the entire college process. Some of the students attending E-Day with their class may not have had the opportunity to visit a college campus otherwise.

“A lot of the kids that are coming onto campus maybe haven’t considered college or what that would look like for them,” Johnston said. “[E-Day helps] show them that it’s not this big, bad, scary thing and that it is very much a possibility.”

In addition to The College of Engineering student groups and teams participating in E-Day, a number of University student resources have also been invited to attend, including UA Financial Aid, Early College and Honors College.

“We’re just trying to cater to as many students as we possibly can and show that there’s more than one way to get through the college experience,” Johnston said. “It’s a customizable experience, and I don’t think high school students necessarily think that.”

Because this year’s event is on a Friday instead of a Thursday, many more out-of-state students have signed up to attend than the College has seen in the past.

UA’s E-Day is open to any high school student. Registration at eng.ua.edu/admissions/e-day closes Friday, Sept. 28.