Photo by Alan Wu
Justin Tobia (EngSci 1T4+PEY) is dedicated to contributing positively to society as an engineer, all the while being true to his passions. He was Co-President of LGBTQase in his second year and Vice-President of Finance in his third year. Justin has taken two of ILead’s undergraduate courses: Positive Psychology for Engineers aka The Happy Engineer (APS444), and The Power of Story: Discovering Your Leadership Narrative (APS445). Here are his thoughts on leadership education.
Why do you want to be an engineer?
Why I want to be an engineer has to do with my skillset and sense of responsibility. I have a strong aptitude for math and science, and have always had a need to address the issues I see. Given that I have these abilities to address technical issues, and even social and political issues to an extent, I believe it’s my responsibility to face those issues.
What does leadership mean to you?
To me leadership means a lot of things. But I think the dominant quality in leadership is having a clear sense of direction for those you lead, and being able to share that sense with them. I think leadership also means being able to earn the role of leader. Leadership isn’t something that can be appointed or taken, but it’s earned from building trust and respect between the leader and the people they lead.
How do you aspire to create positive change?
“The way you protect your power is not to hoard it, but to pass it on.” – Jane Espenson
As an aspiring professional engineer I do have and will have a lot of power to drive change. However, being only one person that power has real limits. I feel that one day it will end with me. I believe the best way I can make positive change is to do what I do best, and use my strengths to empower communities and others looking to make positive change. The rest is positive feedback.
How did APS444 and APS445 impact you and your development?
After completing the first three years of my undergrad and completing my PEY, I had a really strong awareness of my technical abilities, and what work I could do for an organization. But I was missing the story of me. In APS445 I learned that the story of me was in fact the most important story I could offer. To build that story, I needed to develop a deeper understanding of my character strengths, of who I am outside of the engineering black box. That’s where APS444 came into play. I always had some awareness of my character strengths, but I was really able to define them and understand how they influence my life and catalyze my actions. At the end of APS445 I was able to combine those lessons into a final story about who I am.
What’s the next stage of your journey?
My next step is to join a provincial-scale electrical utility and/or system operator. Our society is facing a really serious and difficult challenge regarding our supply of energy and climate change. My ultimate aspirations are to achieve a position in which I can participate in designing the electrical grid to operate independent of fossil fuels, while maintaining reliable and accessible service.
-Kevin Saludares