ENGINEERING THE FUTURE
Eddie Okeiga thinks big thanks to ECU opportunities
Growing up in Holly Springs outside of Raleigh, Eddie Okeiga knew all about East Carolina University.
“A lot of people from my high school come here, and my sister came here and was an ECU ambassador,” Okeiga said. “We used to come visit her, and after coming here a few times, I liked the vibe. It kind of just hit me. I saw the football stadium, it wasn’t too far from home, and everything just clicked. I decided I wanted to come here.”
Now, four years after that decision, Okeiga is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering technology from the College of Engineering and Technology.
From multiple internships to various student organizations, industrial engineering technology graduate Eddie Okeiga enjoyed an active time at East Carolina University. (Photos by Rhett Butler)
Okeiga describes an active time at ECU, where he was a member of the National Society of Black Engineers and Theta Chi fraternity. He received the Robert and Betty Hill Scholarship this fall. He interned at places such as BSH Home Appliances, Harley-Davidson and SpaceX.
“I’m crazy blessed. I thank the Lord every day for all of the opportunities that He’s opened to me,” Okeiga said. “They really shaped me to think big. You don’t really know how many things are possible until you really put your mind to it.”
Okeiga believes those work experiences will help him land a job after graduation. He eventually wants to run his own business.
“I want to do something that makes a difference in the world, something that I can leave my name on and will be used forever,” Okeiga said. “I don’t know what kind of job that will be, but once it comes, I’ll know.”
He feels ECU has prepared him for a career, beginning with his first design class taught by Dr. Robert Chin.
“Professor Chin was hard on us, gave us tons of assignments, but it gave me my first experience of designing something from scratch, so there was a lot of excitement with all that classwork he gave us,” Okeiga said.
Outside of class, Okeiga recalls T-Pain performing at Barefoot on the Mall, hanging out with friends and a football victory over N.C. State his freshman year.
“Being a freshman and the first time in school in the fall, and N.C. State being basically my hometown, about 15 minutes away, that was great and everyone came out to celebrate a good win,” Okeiga said. “I love moments like that.”
Okeiga gives credit for his success to his parents, Lilian and Amos Kerongo, who immigrated from Kenya in 1980, worked jobs while going to college and then raised a family.
“My mom’s an engineer, and my dad’s a database engineer,” Okeiga said. “Looking at them, seeing where they came from, they’re solid people. They’re heavily into their church, and in my mind, I want to be just like that. They were hard on us when we were young — education, education, education. As a kid, you’re fighting that, and now I know they were thinking way further for us.”
He leaves ECU with hopes that all will recognize the university for its academic excellence.
“I want people to know that ECU is a really, really good school,” Okeiga said. “We have some of the nicest facilities and some of the nicest things in the College of Engineering and Technology that people don’t really acknowledge. Going forward, I want to promote ECU and let people know you can get a quality education and somewhere that can become your home. It’s an amazing place where you’ll forever make memories, and it will be some place you’ll be happy to come back to.”
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Out of this World: ECU student spends summer internship with SpaceX