Greetings from The National Chair

Hey NSBE! 

I’d like to officially welcome you as your 2023-2024 National Chairperson! I’ll open with a little bit about me. My name is Avery Layne. I’m the son of Grenadian immigrants, a native of Prince George’s County, MD, and a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, starting in Fall 2023. In the miracle of free time that I have outside of school and NSBE, I enjoy reading history and fantasy, writing poetry, and volunteering with my church. 

This year, NSBE’s set to hit a huge milestone, celebrating its 50th Annual Convention in Atlanta, GA. As we approach and celebrate this moment in time, I want every member to reflect and ground themselves in what matters most for our organization: the mission. Now, all the other things we know and love about NSBE are important - the conference atmospheres, the regional chants and pride, the NSBaes - but the most important thing is our mission: to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community. 

With that in mind, our theme this year is simple: Fulfilling the Mission, 50 Years & Beyond. As we look back and celebrate our 50 years of mission fulfillment, let’s also think ahead about how we put ourselves in a position to continue fulfilling that mission for another 50 years. While many of us might not be able to reflect on 50 years' worth of organizational history, we can reflect on our own personal NSBE histories. 

While I’ve been in NSBE for a while, I still remember a lot of my firsts: my first leadership position, my first Fall Regional Conferences, my first Annual Convention (bonus points if you can guess it!), my first general body meeting, and the first chapter members I met. I still remember the first time I heard about NSBE. Just a high school senior, interested in engineering and asked by a substitute teacher if I was part of our school’s NSBE Jr. chapter. 

I think most of us can remember our firsts in NSBE, and we should think about them every so often. To remind ourselves of that moment when the fire of the NSBE torch was first lit within us. It’s those memories and many more that keep us coming back to serve the organization and our chapters, and to go forward in fulfilling the mission. Let’s strive to make more of these memories of these this year, to draw in new members who will get to experience their own firsts, and to make this road to #NSBE50 a year we won’t forget!  

I’m looking forward to serving you all as National Chair this year, and I hope to see you in Atlanta, GA for #NSBE50!