HBCU Grad Becomes First To Earn Mechatronics Engineering Degree At South Carolina State

Omar Shaheed III will now take his talents to Boeing to work on the 787 Dreamliner.

One HBCU graduate has made history with his degree in mechatronics engineering from South Carolina State University.

Omar Shaheed III began his career at the HBCU as the first student of the newly established program. The Berkeley High School graduate was encouraged to attend a historically Black University by his own chairman of the Department of Engineering Technology, Dr. Hasanul Basher.

Despite not knowing much about the profession, Shaheed still took a chance on the program. From then on, he learned about this evolving sector of engineering. According to a press release obtained by Afrotech, mechatronics engineering seeks to “design, test and manufacture smart systems in robotics, assistive technology, human-machine interaction, manufacturing and unmanned systems.”

A part of the school’s newfound College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Transportation, Shaheed thrived in the program, scoring multiple internships throughout his matriculation.

He notably completed three internships at Boeing, working in various departments, from manufacturing to product engineering. The 23-year-old officially graduated from South Carolina State on Dec. 11, taking his teachings from the inaugural program with him.

He says the experiences shaped him for the career he is now embarking on with Boeing. He will join them again at their plant in Charleston, the home of their 787 Dreamliner aircraft production, according to their website.

“There [in Charleston] I clean up a lot of processes, but then I actually got to talk to the customers and get the different adjustments. Each 787 is a different plane… So I got to learn a lot about that,” Shaheed shared in the news release.

At the start of 2026, Shaheed will engage in a rotational role with the company. Operating on various parts of the Dreamliner’s production, Shaheed will lean on his South Carolina State education and direct background with Boeing.

He added, “All my internships have been in different areas because mechatronics is so versatile. So I’ve learned a lot.”

South Carolina State is already known as a pipeline for Black graduates in engineering, hosting the only Bachelor of Science program in nuclear engineering within the state and at an HBCU. Now, it has another feat under its belt as it continues to promote Black engineers in another capacity.

As the degree program’s first-ever graduate, Shaheed now serves as an inspiration to the next cohort of students wanting to dive into mechatronics. His historic graduation is a milestone for Black and HBCU graduates in engineering.