What it Takes to Become a Chemical Engineer
“I Am African & I Can” is a women’s empowerment blog highlighting stories of Black women’s struggles and successes.
By Hadiatou Wann | 10/16/20
Mariama Sire Diallo was born in New York and moved back to Guinea at 3 years old because her parents wanted her to become accustomed to the Guinean culture. She moved back to the United States when she reached high school, and had to relearn English. Although she was born in the U.S., she felt like an immigrant.
A lover of math, chemistry and physics, Mariama always ranked number one in school while in Guinea. When she moved back to the states, she took ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. Instantly, she performed well in her math classes because math is universal; most of the problems that she came across were problems that she had already learned to solve in Guinea. This allowed her to take higher level math classes early on.
While in Guinea, she didn’t think about race and religion because everyone around her was Black and Muslim. She only began to notice that she was different once she started school in Iowa. Whenever she walked into a classroom, all eyes pivoted to her. As an introvert, all she wanted was to show up to class and learn— just like everyone else — without having 200 people in a lecture room stare at her. Even though people would always stare at her hijab, she never felt the need to take it off just to fit in.
Once in college, she first majored in Business but felt there was something else out there for her. She had an opportunity to meet some students who planned on becoming engineers. They informed her that there’s different types of engineering she could look into. With minute knowledge of the field, she did research and wrote a list of all the types of engineering and their job description, crossed out the ones that didn’t resonate with her, except for Chemical Engineering. Chemical Engineering stood out to her the most because it was a combination of math and science, which she loved.
Chemical engineers typically work in manufacturing plants or labs. Mariama took an elective that required her to choose a field to focus on. Since she always wondered why clean water wasn’t available to many Guineans, she chose to focus on Hydrology and water resources to learn more about water so she could one day go back to Guinea and make a difference. In 2019, she interned as a water plant operator for the City of Iowa, where she witnessed first hand how water gets treated before becoming available to the public, and then interned at Procter & Gamble as a production chemist.
Chemical Engineering is a field mostly dominated by White males. Working on group projects was sometimes a challenge for Mariama because as a Black and Muslim woman, she says, “They may minimize your ideas because you look different, or make you feel like you don’t belong.”
During her junior year, she was inducted into the Honors Society of Chemical Engineering. Those who major in engineering, Mariama admits, rarely get a 4.0 GPA. Many students who were used to being A students in high school were shocked and became depressed when they went into engineering and found it difficult to get an A. Exams are so long that one can’t get through all the questions. All the unanswered questions automatically become a zero.
Mariama believes it is set up this way to weed out those who aren’t truly committed. Many end up being emotionally drained and switch majors because of how intense engineering courses can be. Despite a few disappointments, Mariama held on as tight as she could. This year, in the midst of a pandemic, the 24-year-old earned her Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Iowa.
Currently, she works as a Quality Control Analyst, where she performs QC tests, records, and analyzes data. “I perform various scientific analysis to evaluate the quality of oligos, which are short DNA or RNA molecules that are used in many applications such as genetic testing, forensics or research. I also compile, interpret and document statistical data in order to ensure compliance with the standards or identify any deviations,” Mariama explained.
Eugene Nzau Tsasa says, “I met Mariama at University of Iowa, where we finished our Bachelor in Science of Engineering degree the same year. She was my partner in many laboratory experiments and team work. She is a hard worker because getting a degree at University in Chemical Engineering is not easy, she made it. Also, she is very creative and cooperative. She usually finishes the work or college tasks on time.”
“I was happy to work with her because she is very respectful and I am proud to testify for Mariama. She is very good at problem solving in various areas. She is devoted and motivated in research and work in any projects. She is talented, very confident and friendly. In addition, she always feels positive in group work and she has strong communication and interpersonal skills,” Eugene expressed.
As a first generation college graduate, Mariama is excited about the next chapter of her life, and looks forward to helping better water sanitation in Guinea in the near future. Even though she chose a field few people dare to take on, she stuck through and excelled. Her success story teaches us that when we commit to a goal or something we are passionate about, even when challenges arise, we should never give up because it will eventually pay off.
Inside the Life of A Chemical Engineer
“I don’t want to talk. Just give me a math problem that I can solve.”
“Do your research before deciding which kind of engineering you want to study. Try it out, you might like it or not. Connect with professors during office hours, join engineering organizations, and find a group that can support you in projects.”
Mariama (wearing the black hijab) and her siblings
The day Mariama was inducted into the Omega Chi Epsilon Honors Society
“It gets tough. Don’t get discouraged!”
Connect with Mariama:
Facebook: Maryama Siré Diallo
Instagram: @la_blackeuse_224
Email: mariamasire2244@gmail.com
Read other success stories here: www.iamafricanandican.info/blog
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