National Winner turned CyberGuide: An Interview with Abbie Cochell

eCYBERMISSION is turning 20 this year, so we're looking back at some of the best moments in the last two decades. Abbie Cochell was a National Finalist in the 6th grade, National Winner in the 8th grade, and is now mentoring current eCYBERMISSION students as a CyberGuide. We caught up with her to talk about how eCYBERMISSION impacted her life and what she's up to now.

You competed at eCYBERMISSION for many years. What originally attracted you to eCYBERMISSION? What made you want to continue competing?

When I was in 6^th grade, my science teacher, Mrs. Morrow, encouraged me to sign up with a team for eCYBERMISSION. I was a little apprehensive at first since science was not my favorite subject in school, but I took her suggestion and joined a team. That year, my team qualified for the National Judging event, and I had so much fun competing, presenting, and traveling to Washington D.C. that week that I wanted to do the competition every year after that.

 

Your time as an eCYBERMISSION student was remarkable, even placing as a National Finalist multiple times! Can you tell us a bit about your projects?

In 6^th grade, our project that placed me as a National Finalist was for an exercise shirt with a flexible solar panel built in for runners to use on their long runs to keep their iPod charged (back when iPods were the most popular music player and battery life of these devices was short).

My 8^th grade project won first at the National Event! That year, my team created a small device that parents can clip on their child’s clothes that sets off a fire alarm-like sound when the device touches water. Our goal was to prevent drowning, one of the leading causes of unintentional death in children. As an avid swimmer, this project was especially interesting for me.

 

Competing for so many years must have left you with many exciting memories. Do you have any favorite moments or stories?

My first year, 3 teams from my school, Providence Day School, placed as National Finalists and traveled to Washington D.C. to compete. As a 6^th grader, I looked up to the 8^th and 9^th grade teams, and it was so awesome to have 10 students from my school all together.

Of course, winning the national competition in 8^th grade will be something I’ll always remember and was proof of our hard work and dedication. That week was so exciting, and I knew after we presented that we had a chance at winning. When our names were announced as the winners, though, I couldn’t believe it! 

Abbie with her team after winning Nationals

It’s awesome that you turned your love of STEM into a career! What is your job?

I am currently an assistant electrical engineer at Burns & McDonnell in the Atlanta, GA office. In my role, I work on the design of substations for power companies across the Southeast.

 

What does a typical day of work look like for you? How do you use STEM in an average day?

My days normally consist of going into the office full-time to work on the design for my projects. I create a to-do list each morning with my goals and tasks for the day. This list usually includes daily goals to finish a certain percentage of the design, attend team-wide project update meetings, clear up questions and concerns with my project managers, and self-review project packages.

I also serve as the safety representative for the Atlanta office. At Burns & McDonnell, safety is one of our core principles, and as the safety representative, I organize and lead weekly office-wide safety meetings and help ensure a safe work environment.

Occasionally, we also attend site-visits to the substations we are working on. Since starting my career, I’ve been a part of projects in North and South Carolina as well as Georgia.

STEM is a huge part of my day-to-day work. Electrical engineering is a fundamental part of the design of substations. I also have learned AutoCAD Electrical to create smart drawings. Additionally, I took the Fundamentals of Engineering exam upon graduating from Georgia Tech and working towards my Professional Engineering license over the next few years.

 

Did you always know that this was what you wanted to do when you grew up? What was your path like (education, work, etc.) to get to this point? What obstacles did you overcome?

Until I started competing in eCYBERMISSION, I had no idea that I would want to follow a STEM path. I loved the projects we worked on, and it inspired me to keep going. In 9^th grade, I was led by Mrs. Morrow again on a team with 10 girls for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam. We capped off the year by spending a week in Boston and presenting our project at MIT.

These experiences I had in middle and high school inspired me to pursue electrical engineering in college at Georgia Tech. Through my courses at GT, I was able to be a part of many design projects and finished my senior year by designing an autonomous robot that collects trash from bodies of water. I also was able to intern two summers at Burns & McDonnell and gain exposure to the power industry – ultimately helping me to decide my career path.

The obvious obstacle in this journey of mine – being a woman in engineering. In my classes and at my job, I’m constantly in a sea of men and one of, if not the, only woman. This can be daunting, but I’ve slowly learned to use this as my motivation to be a better student, engineer, and teammate. For me, growing my confidence in the workplace has been challenging. I’ve learned the importance of speaking up, asking questions, and communicating effectively and how doing these things will help me to design higher quality projects.

Abbie's college senior design project

It’s amazing that you were once a student at eCYBERMISSION and now you’re a CyberGuide helping other students in their STEM journey. What made you decide to return to eCYBERMISSION and become a CyberGuide?

When I was looking for ways to give back and be more involved in my community, I wanted to choose an organization that I was passionate about. eCYBERMISSION was the starting point for where I am at now in my career, so it felt like the perfect opportunity for me to make a difference.

 

What is your favorite thing about being a CyberGuide?

I love the opportunity that CyberGuides have to connect with students. Through individual mentorships and Live Chats with teams, it’s interesting to see all the ideas students have and be able to give them advice on their projects.

 

Experiencing eCYBERMISSION as both a student and a CyberGuide gives you a unique perspective. How has eCYBERMISSION changed since you were a competitor?

I think it’s so awesome that students now get an opportunity to chat with STEM professionals through CyberGuides and form mentorships over the course of the year. For teams facing obstacles or unsure where to begin, this is a huge help. CyberGuides also gives a chance to inspire students to pursue STEM past this competition and gives a look at what you can do with STEM in your career.

It’s amazing, too, the ideas students have for their projects. Some of these things, I could never imagine doing back when I was a competitor.

Abbie and her team after presenting at MIT

The success that you have achieved on your STEM journey is truly inspiring. Do you have any advice for students who are interested in STEM?

My biggest piece of advice would be to join clubs, put yourself out of your comfort zone, and don’t fear failure every now and then. I’ve worked on many projects in high school and college that did not go as planned, and that is OK! You learn so much through making mistakes along the way.

 

Some people are intimidated by STEM fields and think pursuing STEM may be too difficult. What advice do you have for students that are interested in STEM, but struggle in math or science class?

I would encourage these students to join a club or take part in a competition, like eCYBERMISSION. STEM is more than just math and science classes, and I think it’s important to explore all aspects of it to find what you’re passionate about. Try computer science, coding, visit a science museum, find other classmates that are interested in the same things as you. There are so many free online resources to explore about STEM. Take some time to research and find what really interests you.

 

Thank you so much for sharing all about your life and helping students get an inside look on what it’s like to work in STEM. We would love to give you the opportunity to share anything else that you think will be impactful for students. Do you have any other advice or stories to share?

Finding what I’m truly passionate about has been one of the most important things I’ve learned along the way. I’m never going to be happy in my career if I don’t care about the work that I’m a part of, so exploring my interests and finding the reason why I’m doing the work keeps me going. For me, I would say I stumbled into the power industry when I landed an internship at Burns & McDonnell. I had no idea what the work consisted of. My mentors and teammates in my internships, though, are the reason I stuck. I found something I liked, and I found people that were investing time into me as well because they saw my potential.

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Abbie is a tremendous example of the amazing things you can accomplish through STEM. Her passion and dedication make her an awesome role model for students everywhere. Catch Abbie at our CyberGuide Live Chats when they pick up again in the fall!

Faith Benner
AEOP Senior Communications and Marketing Specialist
fbenner@nsta.org