Karimah Preston is close to attaining her second degree in engineering. But when she first matriculated to North Carolina A&T University, where she would graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biological and biosystems engineering, she wasn’t considering engineering.
Karimah Preston is close to attaining her second degree in engineering. But when she first matriculated to North Carolina A&T University, where she would graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biological and biosystems engineering, she wasn’t considering engineering.
“I’m a first-generation college student,” Preston said. “Growing up (in the south side of Chicago), we were exposed to a very limited number of careers, and engineering was not one of those.”
As a child, however, she was keenly aware of the environmental disparities between her neighborhood in Chicago and the more affluent parts of the city. While she loved being outside, she had to travel far from her home to enjoy Chicago’s green spaces. As she grew older, Preston wanted to figure out how all people — no matter where they happen to live — can benefit from the environment. It was her interest in finding solutions to the world’s biggest challenges that led her to engineering as an undergraduate.
Read More at: Duke University
