Representatives from IBM will accompany College of Engineering staff today in welcoming 75 high school juniors and seniors from Louisiana and Texas at the college’s Shadow Day.
The College of Engineering Shadow Day is a one-day event on campus where high school students interested in engineering, computer science or construction management get a chance to experience what it’s like to be an undergraduate at the University.
The event begins at 8 a.m. with introductions to staff and University student mentors, followed by class and work-study visits, among other activities, and concludes at 5 p.m.
The high school students tour the campus with College of Engineering undergraduates, who help with the event and answer questions about the transition to becoming a college student.
“They are able to attend classes with [current] students,” said Judea Goins-Andrews, assistant director of pre-college programs. “Because of the one-on-one connection, they can ask questions that can’t be answered by counselors or admissions.”
IBM representatives will conduct a presentation about employment opportunities available with the company in the future, as well as a coding demonstration on a computer, said College of Engineering recruiting coordinator Terrica Jamison.
The partnership between the College of Engineering and IBM is important, a fact which is exemplified by the company’s presence in Shadow Day, Jamison said.
IBM is looking for students interested in filling some of the hundreds of positions that will be available in the next few years.
Most of the students that participate in the fall Shadow Day are seniors who have applied to the University and have been accepted, Goins-Andrews said, but the program helps them decide for certain if the College of Engineering is a good fit for them.
“A lot of students come in thinking they want to do something but are on the fence,” she said. “We know some of them are going to change their mind and their majors. This is giving them the opportunity to connect … to get an insider track of how it is to be a student on campus.”

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