Jalen Hunter’s interest in becoming a mechanical engineer started – as most passions do – at home.
Hunter, a University of Maryland Eastern Shore student from Oxon Hill, Maryland, would often see his dad working on cars, which led to his career inspiration.
“I saw there was a lot of handiwork involved, and I saw I wanted to do something a step above that,” he said. “My high school teachers advised me to do research on engineering and when I read more about mechanical engineering, the more I was excited.”
That path led him to UMES, where he enrolled in the fall of 2018. Now, Hunter will be one of 202 students set to have their degrees conferred during the 2024 Winter Commencement on Dec. 13 at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.
Hunter’s ardent enthusiasm for mechanical engineering has allowed him opportunities to put his creative knack on display.
Just two months ago, Hunter and two other engineering undergraduates were selected to present their research in an abstract at the International Astronautical Congress conference in Milan, Italy – something he considers one of his greatest achievements.
“It was the first time that I had ever traveled outside the country, and it was based off something I was able to do working with a team,” he said. “Being able to have that opportunity to work on my first project, school-wise, it was great to see how far it got me.”
But with his successes came a set of challenges. That included when the world – and UMES – was constrained by the coronavirus pandemic.
Hunter said moving from in-person learning to an online format took time to adjust to.
“I was nervous because I knew online classes wasn’t really my specialty, because I was so comfortable talking to the teachers face-to-face,” he said. “But I also knew it was going to be a learning experience for the teachers as well.”
As Hunter’s time at UMES draws to a close, he considers his journey one shaped by his resiliency and tenacity.
“It’s a story of determination,” he said. “I never gave up on myself and neither did the people around me, including my mother who supported me the most. They gave me the support to push me further than where I thought I’d go.”
