Carlos Poidven

He/Him
Class of 2027
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Bowie, MD

What motivated you to become a ClarkLEADER?
Having had such an amazing experience with my ClarkLEADER and ClarkLEAD event as a freshman, I wanted to return the courtesy to this year’s incoming class by being the best ClarkLEADER I can be at ClarkLEAD 2024.

What are some organizations or extracurricular activities you think new students should know about?
For those interested in an engineering-focused club, TERPS Racing is a great club to get a lot of technical experience & knowledge. For more social/networking-based organizations, there are a variety of organizations specifically for minority students such as SHPE (Society of Hispanic Engineers), BES (Black Engineering Society), and many more.

If you attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student, what did you enjoy most about the event?
I enjoyed the overall friendliness of all the ClarkLEADERS and staff at my freshman event. Everyone was incredibly welcoming towards all students and made me feel like I belonged at the Clark School.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with new Maryland Engineering students?
Making engineering friends is one of if not the most valuable assets to have as a Clark student. Having people going through the same experience as you will help your sense of belonging and validate some of the sentiments you may face during the semester.