When I was first pitched the idea of joining the Yale Chapter of EWB, I assumed there must have been some confusion. I am a double major in Economics and Psychology. I had never stepped foot at the Center for Engineering Innovation and Design (CEID—not to be confused with seed, which I thought was its actual name for over a year after coming to Yale). After some extensive consideration, I joined EWB and proceeded to watch a 10-minute video that would give me access to the Engineering building, so I could actually attend the first meeting.
I am now part of the board of EWB—as the Business Team lead, they did not manage to convince me to switch to a STEM major—and have found a great community and learning environment through this club. The Yale EWB group accepts people of all majors (genuinely), which makes it a great space to learn and explore different areas of interest. As someone who has always been involved in social impact and philanthropy ventures, this is an opportunity to get involved while learning the technical side of embarking on high-impact projects. I might have to ask a couple more questions regarding technical terms during our meetings, but everyone is extremely kind. We all complement each other on the team, as my engineering teammates would recognize when they start worrying about the funding for our upcoming projects and travels.
We are now working on a project in Obraje, Ecuador, helping a community restore and potentially build a new source to access safe and clean water. I have had the opportunity to learn about the different questions that should be asked to ensure the feasibility of a project like this, as well as some basic principles of water springs and gravity systems—which I was surprised to learn, work thanks to gravitational forces!! Furthermore, going back to my social science roots, being the Business Team Lead gives me exposure to both individual and corporate sponsors who like to donate to causes like EWB, and fostering these relationships has given me a better sense of what information donors are looking for when trying to decide whether a social impact project is promising and appealing.
So regardless of your major, EWB truly embodies the “Without Borders” principle in multiple ways, and I am convinced that anyone, with any major at Yale, would find this club to be an enriching experience, as long as they’re willing to watch the 10-minute safety video to gain access to the relevant STEM buildings.