Community and Careers

The 50th Annual Convention of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) in Atlanta, Georgia, marked a significant milestone, and was particularly impactful for the 14 members of Lafayette’s NSBE chapter who attended.

The convention provided numerous opportunities, including networking events and a career fair. This year, 10 Lafayette students had personal interviews or invitations to exclusive company dinners, resulting in several offers for internships and full-time positions. Historically, at least two Lafayette students secure full-time jobs each year at the conference. This year was particularly memorable as three alumni, now representing their employers, reconnected with the Lafayette attendees.

The convention’s theme, #NSBE50: Engineering CommUNITY, emphasized three pillars:

• Personal CommUNITY: Highlighting individual stories, struggles, aspirations, and personal growth.
• Campus CommUNITY: Offering guidance and resources for navigating STEM curricula, fostering mentorship opportunities, facilitating networking events with industry experts, and providing a platform to showcase research and innovation.
• Professional CommUNITY: Supporting established Black engineers, scientists, and technologists aiming to advance their careers.

Matthew Moise ‘24, the 2023-24 NSBE chapter president, attended his second NSBE conference and highlighted the sense of community as his favorite aspect. “One thing I love about the conference is it’s so community rich, and that makes it more meaningful. Meeting people at events, talking to people in line, just meeting people, connecting with people on Linked in and social media — that feeling that we are helping each other.”

Four generations of NSBE chapter board members at one conference: Dennis Tanner ‘22, Micheal Bonnah ‘23, Matthew Moise ‘24, and Paris Francis ‘25

Matthew emphasized that his previous NSBE Convention experience helped him prepare more effectively, leading to more valuable interactions. He shared this insight with NSBE members before the conference, including the need to prepare for the career fair with a resume, plan for which companies to see, and list of talking points. This led to more meaningful conversations for everyone. The results, he said, “Led to half the people who attended getting offers out of it and everyone getting something out of it.”

He also noted the rewarding experience of seeing alumni in roles they secured from attending past conventions. “That’s the most rewarding part: seeing the genuine value and opportunities people get from the convention. That’s what we do it for.”