About Me
My name is Paige Balcom, and when I was 17 years old on a church mission trip in Haiti, I saw a woman bending down over a spigot struggling to fill her bucket with water. I thought, “If the faucet’s piping was changed, that woman’s job would be so much easier.” That scene inspired me to become an engineer and use technology to improve people’s lives in developing countries. In May 2016, I graduated with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a minor in applied math from the University of New Hampshire. When I traveled to Uganda with UNH Engineers Without Borders to work on a clean water project, my desire to pursue engineering and international development continued to grow. I loved every minute of my time in Africa and wanted to continue to work there.
For my senior capstone project, a friend and I founded OASIS (Optimizing Aquaponic Systems to Improve Sustainability), an organization dedicated to designing a low cost, energy efficient aquaponic system for communities in need. In Uvita, Costa Rica, people can't grow their own vegetables because of poor soil quality, so we partnered with an NGO there to implement a pilot system.
I'm thankful and excited for this opportunity to return to Uganda with the Fulbright Program. I'm looking forward to spending nine months getting to know the people and culture of Uganda while teaching them about aquaponics. When I return to the US, I'll start the mechanical engineering M.S./PhD program at UC Berkeley with an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and Berkeley Chancellor's Fellowship.
For my senior capstone project, a friend and I founded OASIS (Optimizing Aquaponic Systems to Improve Sustainability), an organization dedicated to designing a low cost, energy efficient aquaponic system for communities in need. In Uvita, Costa Rica, people can't grow their own vegetables because of poor soil quality, so we partnered with an NGO there to implement a pilot system.
I'm thankful and excited for this opportunity to return to Uganda with the Fulbright Program. I'm looking forward to spending nine months getting to know the people and culture of Uganda while teaching them about aquaponics. When I return to the US, I'll start the mechanical engineering M.S./PhD program at UC Berkeley with an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and Berkeley Chancellor's Fellowship.
Our Engineers Without Borders potable water project in Uganda