Engineering student sets hard-working example

By Jeff Dusing
Daily Forty-Niner

For students who are willing to set every aspect of their lives aside and work as hard as they can to achieve their degree, Cal State Long Beach junior Jay Smith is an excellent role model.

Smith, 32, left his job in veterinary medicine near his home in the Bay Area a year and a half ago to come to CSULB to complete his degree.

"There is an undergraduate program in bio-medical engineering here at Long Beach," Smith explained as his reason for choosing The Beach. "I have always been interested in electronics"

In combining his experience in veterinary medicine with his interest in electronics, he has elected to pursue a career in designing or refining electrical equipment used in the medical industry.

"I tell people I want to design toys, but they usually don't understand what I mean," Smith joked. "I actually want to design medical equipment. For example, a lot of patient monitoring equipment is done wireless now and it can be tracked from one location."

Still, before beginning his career, Smith knows he will have to continue to put in more of the hard work he has been doing since he arrived at The Beach.

Living on student loans and the income he gets from working for the College of Engineering eight to 10 hours a week, he makes enough to support a meager life style. Smith lives in an off-campus apartment where he and his four roommates share a three- bedroom apartment.

To earn some extra cash, "I go around and collect papers to be combined into a binder," Smith said. "We are putting a binder together of students work that is used for accreditation," he said regarding his job with the college.

Despite Smith's rigorous schedule, he still finds time to act as president of the CSULB chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

"The hardest part of the whole thing is finding someone to come talk to us," said Smith who admits his position only requires a few hours a week.

On the rare occasion that Smith can get away from his college life, his favorite pastimes are sitting down with a good book or visiting is girlfriend in Pasadena who is also from the Bay Area.

"She's a medical student at USC," said Smith; "I met her in the fall of 1980."

After graduating from CSULB, Smith hopes to obtain a graduate degree from UC Davis and then move back to the Bay Area so that he and his girlfriend can be closer to their families.

Meanwhile, Smith continues to work hard every day to earn his degree and accomplish his goals.