Kathryn, Port Angles, Washington asked Jennifer Bernhard, University of Illinois AddedThursday, February 25, 2016 at 6:26 PM What inspired you to become a professor? Hello my name is Kathryn, I'm 11 years old and I was wondering what inspired you to become a professor because I'm so into engineering right now so I'm just trying to pick up info about it and I'm asking a bunch of different engineers that I'm into am are reading about. If there are any facts on engineering that are really important and you would like to share please I'm always open for more info. Related to Choosing a Degree Reset Sort By Default Jennifer Bernhard , University of Illinois Answered Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 6:26 PM Dear Kathryn, I decided to become a professor because I love learning, I love teaching, and I love being able to work on the kinds of technical problems that I find interesting and that make a difference in the way people communicate – I study antennas. I love engineering because it is fundamentally a creative process – we take what we know about physics, chemistry, biology, and math and apply those things together in new inventive ways to produce new devices or techniques. Also, being a professor provides a lot of flexibility in terms of the work-life balance and my schedule – I can balance my time between my job and my family. Of course, sometimes lots of things pile up (like my e-mail!) and sometimes I fall behind, but I’m always doing something different every day and working with other people, which is a very enjoyable part of the collaborative process. I’m so glad that you’re into engineering! Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different areas to see what you like best! Prof. Bernhard