Meet our pioneer: Caleb Kyei

Who are you? 

My name is Caleb Kyei. I am 21 years old and I am originally from Ghana. I have been living in Eindhoven since 2018. 

What do you study? 

In 2019 I did the Information Technology study at Fontys in Eindhoven. I’m now doing a Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. 

Why did you choose this study? 

I always wanted to be an Electrical Engineer. It's a lot of fun. I like physics and chemistry. Physics itself was too scientific for me and I don't want to do too much research. I could also choose Mechanical Engineering, but I cannot design or draw, or Computational Engineering, but that feels more like an additional skill to me. As an Electrical Engineer, I can build anything I want. 

Have you thought about studying in Ghana? 

I've thought about it. Reasons to study in Ghana is that my friends live there and I have a good network there. But the university in Ghana is very theoretical and that doesn't suit me. I can make it, but I don't like it that much. And it’s also a bit of a hassle to get a job after your studies because there are not many engineering companies. And if I were to do a master's, I would do it abroad anyway. So why not do my entire study abroad? 

Are you going to do a master's after this? 

That's what I originally intended to do, but when I had to choose between Fontys, TU/e ​​and TU Delft, I found out that the system is set up in such a way that you have to do your master's right after your bachelor's. I realized that my father was retiring and financially that is not ideal. I, therefore, want to pay the master with my own money. But I won't do that right away. It does make you a better engineer, so I want to eventually do it. Maybe via a company, if I work there and they pay for the master’s then I will do it. Otherwise, I will do it a bit later. 

What do you do besides your studies? 

I am now doing an internship at Signify. I ended up there through the Fontys PROUD honours program. This is a program in which highly motivated students are given opportunities to grow. Every Friday I work at Signify with LED drivers in the R&D department as an embedded test automation intern. We innovate and test new versions of LED drivers. I don't have to come up with the tests myself, but I do have to set up the test setup and perform the tests. 

What have you learned so far from your internship at Signify? 

I learned a lot of soft skills: how to communicate with colleagues, how to write emails, how to read documentation, how to prepare reports and how to work in a company. That was also my main goal for an internship. I now know how to act like a professional, like an engineer. 

On the other hand, I also learned some technical things that you don't learn in school. Such as test automation, more application of programming languages, such as C# and C++. But also conducting tests. You have to think of all possible scenarios. Although I don't come up with the tests myself, I do have to think about how I run them. So it makes me think like those who came up with the tests. 

What student team are you in? 

I'm on the student team Team Pi. I've been there since September 2020. It is a robotics team from Fontys Engineering. With this team, we participate in the FIRST competitions in the US. During the building season, you have 7 weeks to build a robot according to the competition conditions. And then you finally enter the competition. I am a software and autonomous behaviour designer there and I am also involved in PR. 

Why did you become a project mentor? 

All my life I have been helping others, as a kind of mentor. I help my friends, like now with their study choice or writing for a scholarship application. I enjoy doing it and so it's great that I can do it this way. We also have a course 'curriculum supporting activities'. You can then help a teacher design a subject or come up with an assignment, but I wanted to supervise first-year students. It's so nice to see the transition when students suddenly understand something. 

What do you want to do later? 

I'm not quite sure yet. I first wanted to work for a large company, partly because it looks good on your resume. But on the other hand, in a small business, you can grow on a personal level. For now, I'm sticking with the thought of working for a big company. I would like to do something with Embedded Systems Engineering. That way I can go to a lot of companies. I would like to work at ASML, but I would also like to work at a company where I can travel for work because I am still young. 

Do you want to stay in Brainport Eindhoven? 

Not really. It's nice for a career or education, but I think there's more to be done in the social field. It does feel like an international community here, but I don't feel quite at home yet. School does not provide enough support for international students to be well and quickly integrated into the community. You also have to undertake a lot yourself to learn the Dutch language. But what I like about the Dutch work field is that you are told to relax and take a vacation. That's not in Ghana. 

And I would like to move to another country in a few years after school, because why not? I'm already out of my comfort zone, so I might as well keep going. 

What do you think about studying and living in Brainport Eindhoven? 

As an international student, it is very nice here. The university of applied sciences helps you on your way to participating in society. You feel very welcome in the international community. You meet people of many different nationalities. For example, I have friends from Pakistan, Vietnam, Spain and the US. Everyone is very open-minded. Studying here is also very nice and relaxed. And there are so many things that pleasantly surprise you. 

What else would you like to tell other international students in Brainport Eindhoven? 

If you want to go to Brainport Eindhoven, I advise you to research what you want. Because there are so many possibilities. Companies are always looking for students and education always helps you grow. So if you're motivated, this region will force you from 0 to 100. So check out the possibilities and have fun!