Oakland University senior Engineering student Taunya Owens understands how important time management can be.
If the senior electrical engineering major isn’t in the Engineering Center’s design labs working on a project, she’s at her career with Delphi Automotive’s Engineering team in Warren. If she’s not there, she’s at home raising her daughter.
Though her job at Delphi pays well and she has worked towards a promising career, things weren’t always as secure. At times, Owens has come home from studying at Kresge Library at 2 a.m., only to have to wake up at 5 a.m. for her job. She has lived paycheck to paycheck. She’s skipped class because she didn’t want to miss a parent-teacher conference.
Seeing struggle in her own life, and the kindness of a friend who helped with groceries at a point when the stress was mounting inspired Owens to donate $3,000 to Oakland University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science (SECS) specifically for single parents.
“It’s that moment that I draw upon a lot in my life – how some small gesture of kindness can really impact someone’s situation for the better,” said Owens.
“I created this scholarship because I know what it’s like and I’ve made a great career for myself now. I’ve hopefully gotten through the rough stuff, and I want to help someone else who might be at the point where any little bit helps. A small act of kindness might make the difference.”More