Steven Shaw

First Major: Mechanical Engineering

300 Word Statement

The Lafayette Ideal is a natural leader who creates positive change. Looking back at my four years at Lafayette I can say that I made long-lasting memories and friends that I will always cherish. A few memories that come to mind are when I choreographed for the Pi Beta Phi Dance Marathon and the Hater’s Step Back Competition. The practices were rough in the beginning, but the end result was something to be proud of. I love that I brought people together and encouraged them to take a risk.

When I was accepted into the Lafayette Initiative for Malagasy Education program I was ecstatic—it gave me the opportunity to mentor students from Madagascar on applying to American colleges and universities.

The only feeling that could compare with seeing my Malagasy mentees grow was seeing my orientees flourish at Lafayette. I love watching my orientees getting acclimated to college life and becoming a part of the community. My orientees are D1 athletes, tour guides and acapella singers. These kids are a constant reminder of the Lafayette ideal: a person who steps out of their comfort zone.

Beyond all, I love Lafayette because as corny as this sounds, I made a family here. I hate it when everyone reminds me about graduation because my college experience was too quick. I made a family here and who likes saying goodbye to family?
My family consists of Professors, Administrators, Mechanical Engineers, Fraternity Brothers, Sorority Sisters, Posse Scholars, D1 Athletes, GDI’s, Dining Services Employees, Admission Representatives and so many more. I know this is brief and the Lafayette community deserves much more, but for now all I can say is: thank you. You’ve made me into the man I am today and I can’t wait to see where our lives will take us.

Academic Activities/Awards – Total Years Involved

Posse Scholar 4
Posse is a merit based leadership scholarship awarded to 20 individuals on Lafayette’s campus every year.
Engineers Without Boarders Club 3
I was a member for the first two years and served as Vice President my senior year.
American Leadership Academy Participate
Mission Statement: “The American Leadership Academy provides a unique and intimate experience through which successful leaders share their insights and teach the values, skills, habits, and discipline needed to lead America.” A week long leadership training retreat where I learned about different forms of leadership, negotiation and etiquette.
Caroline Van Dyke Award
“Awarded annually in honor of Carolynn Van Dyke, March Professor of English, to a student majoring in any subject (preference for computer science) to provide funds for a nontraditional learning experience.” The award enabled me to volunteer with a non-profit called WorldTeach. The organization has English speakers teach English in communities that would not be able to afford it otherwise. I taught in a town called Mindo in Ecuador for nine weeks and made my own lesson plans. I also used this opportunity to increase my Spanish speaking skills.
Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain 1
During my second semester of sophomore year, I studied abroad in Madrid with the Engineering Department at Lafayette.

Campus Service/Activities and Awards – Total Years Involved

Orientation Leader 1
Utilized problem solving and social skills to acclimate a group of 15 students to make the transition to college enjoyable and informative. Orient students to campus resources. Guided the group to various programs and facilitated discussions about these programs.
Senior Interview 1
Conduct interviews with students who are applying to be considered for the 2020 class. Analyze and evaluate the abilities of a potential student and compare them to the ideal Lafayette student.
Lafayette Student Ambassador 4
Served as a tour guided for the Admissions Office at Lafayette. I show potential students, faculty and administration what it means to be a Lafayette student and what the campus has to offer.
Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity 3
I am a proud member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. I have served on the community service committee for 2 years. I was the spiritual leader of the fraternity where I would give inspirational speeches and lead ritual meetings. Lastly, my proudest moment in my college career was when I was elected to become the Fraternity Educator (FE). The position of FE is held to the same standard of importance as the president in the eyes of the Brotherhood. I was entrusted to educate two pledge classes where I instilled methods on active listening, knowledge about the fraternity and a job/internship coach program. All of these new initiatives can be seen throughout the house and has made Phi Kappa Psi a better brotherhood.
Student Government: Campus Student Services Chair 1
During Freshman year, I served as the liaison between the students and campus services at Lafayette. I held committee meetings and met with representatives from dining services, public safety, IT and other student services on campus.
Brothers of Lafayette 1
A club that helps acclimate freshmen men to Lafayette with upperclassmen guides.

Community Service – Total Years Involved

Lafayette Initiative for Malagasy Education 2
Nominated and went through the interview process to become a member of the Lime team. Ten students are hand selected to become a part of a group that mentors students in Madagascar on how to apply to American colleges and universities. We come up with lesson plans, mentor students, fundraise for the students funds, research colleges the top performing students should apply to and help them with their college applications.
Third Street Alliance Site Leader for Engineers Without Borders 1
Oversaw the development of utility blueprints for the building using AutoCAD, reflecting multiple electrical systems installed at different times; mapped five floors at the site. Organize teams to work the project every weekend and kept in contact with EWB officials to provide status updates. Created a poster for the CBLR Expo-‐Survey.
Boys & Girls Club in Easton 3
Fundraise for the Boys & Girls Club in the City of Easton through philanthropy events at Phi Kappa Psi and participate in the basketball clinic. We also planned out an event called Funtastic Day where we held a dance competition, flag football game, easter egg hunt, face painting and other activities for the kids.

Athletics Activity/Award – Total Years Involved

Club Crew Team 1
I was a member of the Club Crew Team freshman year where my boat placed fourth in the Dad Vail Regatta (one of the biggest Regattas in the nation).
Intramural Player 3
Played on various intramural teams that Phi Kappa Psi participates in.

Special Interest – Total Years Involved

Public Safety Advisory Board Committee 3
School Store Advisory Board Committee 2
Career Service’s Stipend Recipient
Safe Zone Trained
Selection Committee for Orientation Leaders
Social Justice Institute Member