I went to a tiny rural-area school with no career planning.  I never heard of engineering in high school, but I took what came naturally to me my freshman year in college: calculus, physics, chemistry.  There I learned about engineering and that jobs are in high demand and the pay is great.  This is still very much the case and it always will be.  As a junior, I learned that the thermo-fluid sciences were all about output over input, which is, efficiency.  I’m also an efficiency nut in that I cannot look at a process or function without imagining how it can be improved – whether it is mowing lawn, washing dishes, watching traffic flow, or checking out at the grocery line.  Time and energy – get it done!