Macomb transfer student Christin Salama receives ACCESS scholarship

Mechanical engineering major and Macomb Community College transfer student Christin Salama wants to give back to her community. One way she does this is through the Society of Women Engineers chapter at Wayne State University, which helps get more women involved in engineering and provides career assistance.

She recently was recognized for her efforts as a recipient of the Russell J. Ebeid Closing the Gap Scholarship, a $2,500 award for Wayne State engineering and/or business students of Arab, African American or Latino/a backgrounds. The private scholarship is housed at the Center for Arab American Philanthropy, an ACCESS Institution, and funded and administered through the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS).

"I was very happy to know that I was one of the recipients to receive this scholarship," says Salama. "It's definitely a great help regarding school supplies and tuition. It also means a lot to me and it shows me that my hard work is being rewarded and recognized."

While participating in an early college program at Macomb, Salama interned at General Motors. It was there she discovered an interest in engineering. Following the completion of her associate degree, she transferred to WSU to study mechanical engineering.

"My favorite part of WSU is the group interaction throughout all of my courses," Salama says. "There is always some kind of group work involved, and that helps me create more connections with others, as well as learning in different perspectives. "

Attending WSU gave Salama the opportunity to join the university's chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, her proudest achievement thus far. "It's such a great honor to be a part of it and learn more about other strong women," she says. "We usually get involved with the community and try to give back. We try to do new activities with high school students, as well as running some internship meetings for most of the engineering disciplines."

The SWE also provides opportunities for engineering students to get their foot in the door in the job market. "We also try to invite engineering companies to come over to Wayne and tell about their job opening and what they require," says Salama. "That is a great way for students to come in and learn more about such companies and see if they would like to apply there."

Salama has another year to go before completing her bachelor's, but she does not intend for her time at WSU to end there, as she hopes to get her master's in mechanical engineering here as well.

"My experience at WSU has been great so far," says Salama. "It's a very nice campus and I was able to meet so many people and learn from them. Faculty members are very helpful, and I truly appreciate all the help that they have provided me."

By Jacob Stocking, Educational Outreach communications associate.