Today, visiting the Titan Cement Company and the new Athens International Airport showed me that engineering conventions impact society in ways beyond construction and technology alone. At the Titan Cement Company visit this morning, I was quickly fascinated by seeing how large-scale industrial operations rely on engineering practices. Additionally, the company is moving toward fully implementing sustainable production by utilizing alternative fuels to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. We also learned that the company can make modifications to their products for more specific projects, such as the Ellinikon project, which required sulfate-resistant cement since the Ellinikon is located along the water. We were able to see the systems behind the cement production and learn that the company employs chemists, physicists, geologists, and different types of engineers, which ultimately helped me to learn that while engineers have to design processes that support infrastructure, it is also important to minimize environmental impact. In the future, I hope to contribute to projects that balance innovation with sustainability, so that the engineering conventions will positively impact both the people and the environment.

Our visit to the Athens International Airport expanded my perspective on how engineering works have the potential to connect people all around the world. Airports in general require careful coordination between transportation systems, supply chain, safety measure, and technology to function effectively on a daily basis. We were able to visit the solar panel unit at the airport and also receiving information about what functions look like inside the crisis management center. People from different backgrounds and work experiences were all actively collaborating to maintain the airport’s flow of careful coordination. Coming from a traveling family and now having the opportunity to study abroad in Greece, I am able to understand how these systems work together to bring both people and economies together. As an aspiring engineer, I want to help to create systems that will improve people’s daily lives. Both visits showed me that engineering is not only about solving complex technical problems, but also about creating a positive impact on society as a whole.