Mason chasing engineering dream

John Mason

By BRIAN HODGE

After graduating from high school 10 years ago Deatsville resident John Mason, like many other men, got married, had children and began working and raising his family. But Mason always had a desire to go to college and pursue his dream of working as an engineer.
Mason was recently accepted to the University of Alabama College Of Engineering. After his acceptance at the school Mason heard of an exciting new program called Engineering Math Advancement Program or E-MAP.
E-MAP students live in residence halls, attend mini-courses in mathematics and engineering, engage in laboratory exercises, and tour multiple engineering facilities. They also complete an engineering design project to help apply the skills they learn through the classes and labs. Mason and his fellow students will spend six weeks studying math and taking tests. While this may not be appealing to most people, Mason says he is looking forward to it.
“After I was accepted in the College of Engineering, I was contacted by professor Dr. Karen Boykin about the benefits of enrolling in the E-MAP program,” Mason said. “She really got me excited about what the program consisted of, and all the benefits that it will give me in the class room as well. I (will face) six weeks of nothing but math and tests. All this might not be exciting for most, but for me I love math and everything that comes with engineering. Engineering is something I have always wanted to do”
Another program the school is offering this summer is the SITE program. The SITE program is designed specifically for rising juniors and seniors in high school. SITE students live in residence halls and engage in teaming exercises. They attend mini-courses in mathematics, engineering, computer science and English, and take part in a design competition.
Both programs also expose the students to campus life outside of the classroom as they enjoy activities such as pizza parties, bowling and free time to explore the opportunities that the campus has to offer.
In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, the University of Alabama’s fully accredited College of Engineering has about 1,900 students and nearly 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.
For SITE information, contact Greg Singleton, director of engineering student services, at 205/348-1447,
Or email gsingleton@eng.ua.edu. For E-MAP information, contact Dr. Karen Boykin at 205/348-4008 or kboykin@eng.ua.edu.