![\"\"](\"http:\/\/ecm.eng.auburn.edu\/wp\/emag\/files\/2025\/12\/SydneyWatwoodHeadshot.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nI believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and hands to work skillfully.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Sydney Watwood, a sophomore in chemical engineering, traces her passion for water systems back to sixth grade, when she read \u201cA Long Walk to Water.\u201d The book opened her eyes to the global water crisis and set her on a path that now spans continents. Inspired by her grandfather, an Auburn-educated electrical engineer, Watwood chose chemical engineering to solve real-world problems \u2014 like the ones she encountered firsthand this past May in Guatemala.<\/p>\n
As an Engineers Without Borders (EWB) team member and secretary\/treasurer, she and teammates tested water quality, laid PVC and began designing a new water distribution system in Parramos Grande.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn class, you learn equations and math, but sometimes it doesn\u2019t fully click until you see it firsthand,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing able to see where we were putting pipes in and then getting to design where water would flow through the community \u2014 that made everything click.\u201d<\/p>\n
Watwood continues EWB\u2019s work on campus by writing technical reports and leading fundraising.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all come in with different strengths,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of it \u2014 you\u2019re learning from everyone else, not just the work. Engineering Without Borders is not just about engineering. It\u2019s about people and making a difference where it matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n