Carson Curry

"As a kid, I often helped my dad build houses in the summer. I enjoyed the problem solving it took to coordinate construction tasks, and I always looked at how a process could be completed more efficiently.

Entering college, I chose electrical engineering for the challenging curriculum and the exciting possibilities the career field offers. Twenty years ago, we didn't know what cell phones were, and now modern society can't live without them. I felt that an electrical engineering degree would prepare me to pursue a high-tech career.

The young, small-but-growing aspect of UT Dallas appealed to me. Specifically, the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science has great faculty with ties to industry. After learning UT Dallas grew backward, starting from a graduate research center to the present four-year university, I knew there would be no question about the quality of my education.

My best learning experiences have resulted from speaking up in class and asking professors for alternate explanations. Discuss study strategies with classmates, and ask teaching assistants about assignment corrections. When you don't know where to go for what, ask around. If someone doesn't know, they always know where to point you.

I'm an inaugural member of the first class of UT Dallas Terry Scholars. Since the inception of the Terry Scholars program here, our group has placed a strong emphasis on giving back and striving to be positive leaders in the community. Our local service projects ranged from monitoring 5K charity fundraisers to building wheel chair ramps for the homebound to baking cookies with the elderly.

One of my most memorable experiences as a collegian was when the UT Dallas Terry Scholars joined with 30 other Terry Scholars from UT Austin, UT San Antonio, Texas State University and the University of Houston for a spring break in Pass Christian, Mississippi. We helped with cleanup and remodeling from the resulting damage of Hurricane Katrina, and by the end of our trip, we were able to put the lives of two families back in order.

Serving as a student leader has prepared me well for my professional future. Most notably, my involvement has introduced me to some of the greatest people, including other students, faculty and staff, as well as other Terry Scholars and alumni from across the state.

Students have a real voice at UT Dallas. From Student Government projects to improved classes as a result of professors who genuinely read course feedback, students have the capability to collectively govern their experience here."

Following a summer internship at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M., Carson Curry will work toward a master's degree in electrical engineering from UT Dallas.