Bronco Spotlight: Tayla Hall
Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, 2020
Design Release Engineer at General Motors
I'm an engineer over autonomous sensor cleaning technologies. All of the new autonomous vehicles have sensors and cameras to keep them working properly, but in adverse weather or if debris contaminates the camera, it can severely impact the use of the car. I work on researching and testing these new technologies to keep the aforementioned cameras and sensors clean to keep the world save one AV at a time.
The most rewarding part of my job is working for one of the largest automotive companies in the world. The diversity that I experience daily is refreshing, but the opportunity to grow and learn is even more exciting for me. The most challenging is probably the learning curve. I'm still pretty new, so adjusting to a new company and the automotive industry alone can be overwhelming. The acronyms and new system get me every day.
What activities, resources, or people helped you prepare for your career?
The National Society of Black Engineers chapter at Western really helped me get through college with my sanity but also allowed me to develop numerous career development skills like leadership, resume writing, the ability to think and solve problems quickly, outreach, working with diverse perspectives and backgrounds, and even more. I also got a network of amazing black professionals that helped me take my career and life skills to another level.
What advice do you have for others pursuing a career similar to yours?
Don't quit. Accept challenges, accept defeats. Don't forget who you are and by that I mean don't let your confidence diminish because of how much you don't know YET. I feel like engineering is split between acting like you know what you're talking about and saying it with enough confidence that the rest of the room believes you and actually digging deep to ask enough questions regardless of how stupid you think the question is to fully understand the problem that you have at hand to come up with the most effective solution.