What organizations were you a part of when you attended NC State?

I was part of ASABE, Engineers Without Borders, and TRIO Student Support Services.

What drew you to biological and agricultural engineering?

I was intrigued with the idea that engineers could use existing ecological processes to solve engineering problems in the modern world. It made sense to me from a sustainability standpoint and it was different from what people think of what traditional engineering is. I loved the close-knit family environment. It was very different from the larger majors on campus. We were together all the time and became close.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will be moving to Charlotte to work as a water resources engineer at McAdams.

What have you learned from your time at NC State and in the department that you will take with you?

I learned the power of working with others. I met such amazing people – from the professors who inspired me to pursue this field to my friends and classmates with whom I was able to work on some really cool projects. I had so much fun with my senior design team making a remote water sampling system. The value of BAE really lies in the people who are a part of it. Seeing how much I was able to accomplish by working in a team with others is a lesson I will take with me into my career and all aspects of my life. I want to thank Dr. Fox, Lacey Parish, Dr. Boyette, Dr. Chinn, Dr. Hunt, Sarah Waickowski and my senior design team (go group 2!) for helping make my time in Weaver unforgettable.

 

 

Graduation often sparks reflection.

Students finishing college pause to think about the moments – exhilarating, challenging and everything in between – that led to that milestone.

As she leaves NC State with her B.S. in biological and agricultural engineering, Esmira Poladova has more ups and downs to contemplate than most. She describes her five years since high school not as a journey – which sounds a tad too smooth and direct – but as a crazy adventure, or maybe a wild ride.

To become the first in her family to earn a degree, Poladova passed through dark tunnels, persevered and, as an NC State senior, even became an advocate for other underresourced students.

“Graduation’s a huge moment of achievement,” she said. “It means a lot when you’re the first and so much is riding on it, to be able to say you did it.

Read the rest of Esmira’s story here.