Moriba Finding Career Readiness in MET Program
By Jonathan Petty,
Director of Enrollment Marketing and Communications –
Like so many other boys growing up, Francis Moriba loved superheroes.
“As a little kid, I always wanted to be Batman or Ironman,” he said.
Who can blame him. There’s a certain appeal to ordinary men building gadgets and tools that solve unique problems. For Moriba, that interest piqued while watching one of his favorite YouTube creators, The Hacksmith.
“In one of his videos, he made the Batman grappling tool,” Moriba said. “I was thinking that is so cool.”
His interest in building and tinkering with tools and machines has shaped his educational pursuits. And although a career as Batman may not be in his future, he knows there is plenty of need for functional engineering technology in the workforce. Now a mechanical engineering technology student at Texas A&M University–Central Texas, Moriba has his sights set on building the tools and technology that keep the world turning.
“It’s just fascinating. Inventing. Creating things,” he said. “It’s the most human thing ever. We are able to create tools and use them to make our lives better, and that’s the thing that really drew me to mechanical engineering.”
Moriba Makes His Way to A&M–Central Texas
Born in Sierra Leone, a country on the coast of West Africa, Moriba moved to the U.S. when he was 5. His father was in the military and stationed in Texas.
Moriba’s formal education took him to Early College High School where he worked on an associate degree focusing on interdisciplinary studies through Central Texas College. During his senior year, representatives from A&M–Central Texas introduced his class to the Greater Texas Foundation Warrior Scholars. It is a program that provides financial support for students who transition from an ECHS school directly to a bachelor’s program at a university.
For Moriba, the program made sense both academically and financially. With an associate degree upon graduation for ECHS, Moriba easily transferred into a bachelor’s degree program at A&M–Central Texas, and by joining the GTF Warrior Scholars program, he received a $2,000 annual scholarship.
Why the MET Program?
Fascinated by the prospect of building tools that make life easier, Moriba enrolled in the MET program. He had to take a few extra classes at CTC that weren’t covered in his interdisciplinary associate degree, but he was able to take those while duel enrolled.
At A&M–Central Texas he found a program where he could explore his interests and work with professors who keep the subject matter interesting and compelling. And while they all present the material in different ways, Moriba said Dr. Praveen Malali is one of his favorites.
“He’s very enthusiastic,” he said. “He really gets you interested in the subject. It’s really nice to have professors like that.”
As part of the education, MET students put their knowledge to work in real-world scenarios. In his energy and technology class, Dr. Malali teaches his students how to measure and track energy expenditures and develop ways to cut back on waste. As part of that education, the students participate in an energy assessment at a local non-profit organization. Moriba said they measured energy usage and developed strategies and recommendations for cutting back on waste and saving money.
“Knowledge isn’t actually useful unless it is applied,” Moriba said. “Getting the opportunity to actually apply it in a low-stakes environment was really helpful. It boosted my confidence in my skills in general.”
A Future in Mechanical Engineering Technology
Moriba knows that career possibilities are wide open for people with a mechanical engineering technology degree. His career focus at the moment is on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
“It was recommended to me by my uncle,” Moriba said. “It’s an industry that is in high demand.”
Not quite willing to settle on one option, however, Moriba did say he wants to explore other opportunities, perhaps work some internships in other fields to see what really clicks for him. He may not be qualified for the Stark Internship in the Marvel universe, but he knows his degree will be useful in building a career as it is applicable across many industries.
“I love this degree so much,” he said. “We will never run out of a need for mechanical engineers.”
