Clark College Engineering Professor Carol Hsu is an immigrant, a woman of color, and a pioneer of sorts who pursued a mechanical engineering degree at a time when only 10% of engineering students were women.

But did you know she’s also an avid gamer who plays World of Warcraft?

Professor Hsu talked about these things and more when she spoke to more than 70 Clark College students, faculty and staff at the Spring Student of Color Luncheon on April 25.

The free event is presented each term by Clark’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Multicultural Student Affairs. It provides opportunities for students to be encouraged by inspiring stories, meet faculty and new friends, consider different career paths, and identify community resources and potential mentors.

Professor Hsu shared her story and her lessons learned and shared tips to help students navigate college. She grew up in Taiwan, where she attended school seven days a week. When she was in high school, her family emigrated to Houston, Texas. She didn’t speak English, but thanks to her high school’s ESL classes, she learned.

Recognizing her aptitude to working with her hands, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Before her teaching career, she was an engineer at various companies including Chevron, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard. In her work, she traveled to many countries and experienced diverse cultures.

Now in her 13^th year of teaching at Clark, she also co-directs NERD Girls and other STEM outreach in the community.

She encouraged students to “find opportunities whenever possible. Get involved.”

Professor Hsu’s advice to students:

• Design is a process. It takes a team.
• Join clubs on campus and get involved to make connections.
• Get to know your professors, who know about opportunities and can write recommendation letters.
• Join a study group and make friends; encourage each other to keep going.

Her words of wisdom:

• “If you tell me ‘no,’ I’m going to show you that I can.”
• “Your reputation follows you, so do a good job.”
• “There’s nothing you can do about the past, but you can change the future.”

Fun Facts about Professor Hsu:

• She is an inventor who holds two U.S. patents.
• She is an avid gamer. In World of Warcraft, she is a warlock.
• She commutes to campus via bus and listens to audiobooks; she has listened to 377 audiobooks.
• Her favorite genre is fantasy; favorite authors include Brendon Sanderson and Neil Gaiman.

Photo: Clark College/Susan Parrish