Engineering Clubs: From Novice to Leader

Elizabeth Wilson felt like an outsider when she first joined the College of Engineering in 2020. Coming from the School of Art, she had a different backstory than most of her fellow undergraduates.

“I didn’t plan on going to school for engineering originally, so I was actually very intimidated,” said Wilson.

Since then, the environmental engineering junior has found her way and is focused on welcoming others into the college. 

“For me, it was about being able to have a community from all these different backgrounds in engineering and seeing how they were making their own path.”

Now president of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Wilson was among leaders from 45 clubs greeting hundreds of engineering students who piled into the Student Union Memorial Ballroom at the start of the fall 2023 semester. Many of the students were getting their first look at the college’s far-reaching clubs.

From racing vehicles and building airwave communications to brewing and welding, clubs are not just places for students to try out skills, they also are avenues to serving their communities, making a difference and laying the groundwork for careers in engineering.

Most engineering students at the University of Arizona do not declare their majors until after the first year of studies. They have the freedom to explore the college’s 17 majors. Clubs and organizations are a big part of their journey.