Grad’s advice: Find out what sparks your interest
Olivia Ramsey thanks her parents for pushing her to explore her interests.
It’s because of them, she said, that when she graduates from high school this year, she knows exactly what she wants to do next.
She wants to become a mechanical engineer.
“My parents have always been very active and involved in my life,” she said. “They’ve always wanted what’s best for me.”
Ramsey’s parents are Craig and Tracey Ramsey of Humble. Her mother is a stay-athome mom, and her dad works for Boardwalk Pipeline Partners.
Ramsey, 16, a senior at Humble High School, attended a series of summer camps in an effort to discover her passion. She went to a medical camp where she did dissections, then another summer session focused on animals.
When Olivia Ramsey was 11, she enrolled in a summer camp that was dedicated to engineering.
“It all started from there,” she said. “I had always been good in math and science. Those were my strongest subjects. It was something I enjoyed and excelled at; it just lined up.”
Her love for engineering deepened a couple years later when she attended a camp hosted by the Society of American Military Engineers.
She recalled that in one project, her team had to design a boat out of cardboard, plastic
cling wrap and duct tape.
“It had to float a team member, and we had to race,” Ramsey said. “We had about an hour or two to construct it. We actually won the challenge, and that was cool.”
When she returned to school, she joined a robotics club. She became a math and science Olympiad. Ramsey also enrolled in courses that would help her develop the skills needed to be an engineer. She took engineering concepts and robotics and animation. Her teachers were impressed with her hard work.
Russell Stilley taught her engineering design. He said that Ramsey was one of only a few female students to enroll in the course.
“She’s very studious, and she always does good quality work,” he said. “She’s a serious student.”
Stilley said that Ramsey is a role model to her peers.
“If I had a whole class of Olivias, I’d be very happy,” he said. “She’s so enjoyable, because she actually wants to learn. She’s up for a challenge. Olivia is just a great student.”
Ramsey took a job as a math tutor for kindergarten through 12th grade her junior year, which prevented her from doing too many extracurricular activities.
But she’s back in the robotics club this year.
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “You learn a lot. It’s great to get that hands-on experience. It’s better to do it and see it than to just hear about it.”
Ramsey also takes every opportunity to shadow professionals in the engineering field for a day.
She is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers, as well as the National Honor Society and Humble High School Presidential Ambassadors.
Ramsey also was a member of the high school’s girls wrestling team.
She joined because her algebra teacher Paul Wilcox served as the group’s coach.
“I really admired my teacher, and he kept talking about how he needed more girls on the team,” she said. “I decided to give it a shot, and I liked it. The best part of wrestling was definitely my teammates and my coach. I love the sport.”
Whether it’s a wrestling match or an engineering problem, Ramsey enjoys a challenge.
“I like being faced with problems and finding creative solutions,” she said. “There are certain rules with math, and those rules don’t change. But you take those rules and you have to be creative with them.”
She plans to study mechanical engineering, but she isn’t sure which college to attend.
Lamar University actually sought her out to apply to their program her junior year.
“We’ve been in contact ever since,” Ramsey said. “It’s still up in the air. There might be other contenders.”
The University of Houston also offered to give her a full ride, and other colleges are making offers, including Colorado School of Mines and Texas A&M University. As long as she is studying engineering, that’s all that counts, she said.
“It’s really engaging and entertaining, and I don’t get bored with it,” she said.
Ramsey said that she has been warned that being a woman in the engineering field can be difficult.
“To me, that’s kind of enticing,” she said. “I feel competent to do the job and do it well. Having people doubt me pushes me further. It makes me want to do it more.”
She is interested in working in renewable energy or subsea engineering.
“I want a job that allows me to make an impact,” she said. “I’m passionate about anything that’s not common. I want to have those experiences that most people don’t, whether it’s because they’re scared to try things or because they were given an opportunity but they didn’t take it.”
To the students she is leaving behind at Humble High School, Ramsey offered advice.
“Take the more rigorous courses,” she said. “If you plan to be an engineer, you will definitely need a strong foundation in math and science.”
She also recommends trying summer camps and workshops like she did.
“Find what sparks your interest,” She said. “If you find that you’re good at something, and you enjoy it, pursue it.”