Derrick Amanor: Inspiring the next generation of engineers

 

ECE undergraduate student Derrick Amanor knew he wanted to be an engineer from a young age. Now, as president of the Ohio State Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and treasurer of RISE^OSU (Recruitment and Retention Initiative for Successful Engineers: OSU), he is inspiring the next generation of engineers.

“My parents always said I’ve wanted to be an engineer since I was the age of four,” says Amanor. “This was because my uncle was a structural engineer in Ghana and I admired him. I always thought he had the coolest job on earth.”

Watching the Buckeyes win the 2002 National Championship title one year after he moved from his native Ghana to the United States first sparked Amanor’s interest in Ohio State. Visiting campus sealed the deal.

“After visiting here, taking a lot of campus tours, talking to faculty and current students, I realized that this was the place for me,” says Amanor.

Being involved in the FIRST Robotics competition during high school helped Amanor discover that his interests lie in the field of electrical engineering. The reputation of Ohio State's electrical and computer engineering program, and the career flexibility an ECE degree provides, added even more appeal.

“I think the ECE program gives you a lot of great opportunities once you graduate. It’s very intensive, so when people see that you have an ECE degree from Ohio State it’s greatly respected,” says Amanor. “It also allows you to do a lot of different things, go into a lot of different industries. I know people who go to law school, people who become doctors, so it all depends. Once you get that ECE degree you can choose to stay within electrical engineering or you can branch out and do a lot of great things.”

The student who has devoted so much time during his college career to causes he believes in urges his fellow engineering students to do the same.

“Try to give yourself a well-rounded education. I think one of the great things about this university is that you know you’re going to get a great technical education. But it’s up to you to make sure you come out as a well-rounded student, whether it’s being involved in student organizations in ECE or around the university,” says Amanor.

Learn more about Derrick Amanor in his own words in this ECE video.