“Engineering is a man’s work.”
You’d think that foolish phrase is as extinct as dinosaurs, but it’s what a teacher uttered to Ryan Uebel during her senior year of high school.
Just the same, she’s always been intrigued by engineering and the math and science involved in it. “I love problem-solving,” she said. When she enrolled at NIU in Fall 2022, it was as an industrial engineering major in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET).
Within several weeks, however, the seed planted by that high school teacher had grown so big that Uebel’s confidence withered.
“I felt as though I was not `smart enough’ to be an engineer,” she recalled, “so I changed my major to psychology.”
After a few weeks, Uebel realized it was time to do another about-face. She returned to CEET for the start of her second semester, this time as a biomedical engineering major.
Uebel began to thrive, but she was having challenges juggling her studies with a job she had to make ends meet.
Enter the James S. and Tina J. Kendrick Scholarship for Engineering Excellence, $8,000 in funding that enabled Uebel to focus more on her studies since the start of her sophomore year.
Kendrick is a 1970 graduate who enrolled in NIU’s technology department—the precursor to CEET, which was founded in 1985.
He created the scholarship in 2020 after reflecting on his own career—and how crucially his classes and internships prepared him to work in an industrial setting. Those experiences and skills fueled his rapid rise within Kraft’s leadership ranks. At 26, he was the engineering manager of a large plant and he went on to a successful career as a manufacturing executive.
“I want to see the same opportunity for other young people like Ryan,” Kendrick said. “Anybody at any socio-economic level, regardless of race, can qualify for this scholarship. Ryan has a nice balance of personality and smarts, and she applies herself well.”
“With the scholarship, she’s not under a lot of undue stress or pressure financially,” he added. “The recipe is there for a lot of success.”
Uebel affirmed that observation, noting that the scholarship covers most of her tuition, “which means I don’t have to worry about working and can put attention on all my classes and on what I want to pursue as a career.”
On June 20th, she had a chance to meet the Kendricks for an appreciation dinner when they visited the area.
Uebel called them “truly amazing people” and recalled how “Mr. Kendrick talked about how much he struggled academically,” especially during his first two years of college.
Overcoming struggle is familiar terrain for Uebel. In her junior year of high school, she had to halt her athletic career after sustaining multiple concussions—two from soccer competition, two from playing basketball and two from car accidents.
“I had to learn how to walk properly, how to count again,” she said. “My mind was not functioning as well as it should have been. I went through physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy.”
Those experiences have given her an empathy beyond her years. It’s part of what motivates her career pursuit.
She has a much older brother who served in the military and some of his friends lost their lives, and others lost limbs, in Iraq. Inspired by their service, Uebel wants to design prostheses that enable veterans and other people to regain independence.
“I want to give back to those who have helped me, even if it has been indirectly,” she said. “People deserve happiness, and if I can give them some of that by designing high quality and effective prosthetics, then that is what I want to do.”
Aiding in her journey is the Kendrick Scholarship, whose impact only begins with its crucial financial support.
“To know that someone believes in me and they see how hard I’m working, that’s so energizing,” said Uebel. “I’m so grateful for this scholarship and I’m determined to do well academically not only to impress them but to impress on myself that I can do it.”
Learn more about other CEET scholarships.
