At the end, only three people were recruited, two of whom were ladies, and I was fortunate to be one of them.” “About 40 of us had been called for an interview that day,” she recalled, “and nine were selected for the final round. Having a real-world problem, I was picking up a good background for a field that is not only interesting but very important for industry worldwide.”Īfter graduation, she applied online for a drilling job in the oil fields. She guided me to begin some research on corrosion, which is a very important issue throughout the oil fields around the world. She had a mastery of her subject that was almost intimidating - she made it look so easy. After the first class I knew this was what I wanted to do. Tendo, that she decided to major in chemistry and minor in materials science and technology. I knew this was the way I would share my passion.” It’s as though you’re learning a new story and then learning how to tell it. I just saw through her that science is so beautiful - discovering new things about the world. “At the university, I was once again privileged to have a teacher who shared my passion for both chemistry and engineering. It was at Buea that she fully confirmed and focused her dreams on a career in science and engineering. When it came time for university studies, she was admitted into the University of Buea. Elisabeth Diobe, whose zeal for the subject was infectious and raised Esther’s interest to an entirely new level. It was in high school that her love of chemistry really took hold - thanks to an outstanding chemistry teacher, Mrs. Esther was fortunate to attend Saker Baptist College in Limbe, Cameroon, which she called one of the best boarding schools in the country. “I just didn’t want to work with it on a daily basis,” she recalled. Her parents both thought she would become a medical doctor, but Esther realized around her high school years that she had a blood phobia. “I come from a true African family where the extended family is as close as the nuclear family, and I must say everyone played their role the best they could in helping me become the engineer I am today.” Her mother and big sister kept her disciplined and supported her dreams. The other brother spent time teaching her science subjects at home during the holidays he went into computer science, and then he, too, decided to go into the ministry. One of her brothers sometimes made her read newspaper articles out loud to improve her diction he studied law and became a human rights consultant, then changed careers to become a Baptist minister. She noted that her whole family was dedicated to learning and service, and all members played a role in supporting her dreams. But he didn’t have to push hard, because I have always been passionate about discovery. “My dad strongly encouraged me to do science,” she said during the 2017 AMSEN meeting in Accra. Her father truly loved engineering, and taught Esther extra mathematics at home when she was in primary school. She brought with her a lifelong love of science and a rare degree of field experience, which she gained in the demanding and male-dominated, rough-and-tumble oil fields around central Africa.Įsther was born in Cameroon, where her father was a civil engineer and her mother a primary school teacher. She joined AMSEN a few months after that, thanks to the assistance of her supervisor, Dr. From the Oil Rig to the Lab: A Young Woman’s Journey to Becoming a Materials Engineer (AMSEN)Įsther Mbu is one of the newest members of the African Materials Science and Engineering Network (AMSEN), having begun her master’s program at the University of Ghana in September 2016.
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