Peter Wins Cockrell School’s Student Leader Award
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May 05, 2022
Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering senior Jayvaughn Peter has won a 2022 Student Leader Award from the Cockrell School of Engineering in recognition of his work to motivate, guide, mentor and support the school’s student organizations.
Peter has served as internal vice president of Pi Sigma Pi, the minority academic engineering society; treasurer and conference planner for the National Society of Black Engineers; and publicity chair for Engineering LGBQTies. In addition, he was a curriculum developer and lead counselor last summer for the Cockrell School’s inaugural Longhorn Engineering Summer Camp, which virtually brought together more than 50 rising 8th and 9th graders who are underrepresented minorities to learn about engineering and how it relates to art, sports, space, health, sustainability and society.
Culture has played an important role for Peter as an engineering student leader as it serves as a basis of thought and understanding as well as motivation. As a Pasifika engineering student leader, he recognizes the ingenuity deep in his cultural background as an influence on how he thinks and problem-solves. He has become adept at working with vastly different people and utilizing their diverse perspectives as much as possible.
“Student organizations, especially in the Cockrell School, have the capacity to cultivate an extremely collaborative space, and being a leader in said space has created so many wonderful connections and memories for me,” he says. “Becoming an effective leader centers around being both bold and strategic in every aspect of life; as corny as it sounds, think like an engineer at all times and do not be afraid of stepping up.”
After graduation later this month, Peter will take a gap year to travel and explore. After that, he plans to pursue graduate school with the goal of becoming an engineering professor.
