What is something you love about your school? I love being part of a community of people that are so creative and academically driven but also attend fun social events on and off campus! My campus is a little bubble of green and safety with Midtown Atlanta just over the bridge, and having the opportunity to explore Midtown with friends and consider job opportunities close to campus is such a tremendous opportunity!
How/why did you choose your major? I chose Mechanical Engineering because I have always been gifted in math and science and truly enjoy learning about how things work! I am excited to be a part of revolutionary projects in the future and contribute to the community where I am placed and the world around me!
What is your relationship with your ZF coach like/in what ways have they helped you? My relationship with my coach(es) was much closer in the first fall semester than it is now, but Diana has been very supportive about all of my endeavors for my academic and extracurricular goals at Tech!
What hobbies/extracurriculars/other interests do you have? Tell us about them! Why are they your passions and how did you get involved? One of my favorite hobbies is skiing, where I actually now hold an executive board position in the Ski and Snowboard Club at Georgia Tech! As a new club, we have been putting a ton of effort into shaping the club into what we want and I am so excited to see what kind of culture we create in the next few years! I also joined the Georgia Tech Solar Racing Team, where my interest in designing innovative projects is cultivated in the projects I take part in!
Why did you apply to ZF/what drew you to this organization? I applied to ZF because my father had a wonderful conversation with Diana (who coincidentally became my coach!) in an airport about the mission of ZF to be more than a scholarship program. The drive the coaches and other leaders have for helping us network and build our resumes to make us the best candidate we can be is truly inspiring.
What impact has ZF had on your academic and professional career thus far? What impact do you hope it will have in the future? ZF has truly made me feel confident in the steps I have taken towards my professional career and has provided us with academic resource referrals that I would not have found without ZF! I hope to keep the supportive network ZF has provided even after I graduate and continue to give back to the organization!
Tell us something you are excited about! My current plan moving through a year from now will include a study abroad trip to France in Spring 2022, a summer internship (hopefully away from home!) and another Fall semester on campus booming with students! This semester I am excited to build the ski club and hopefully earn a leadership position in my sorority in charge of chapter academic wellness or event planning!
Tell us about a time you made yourself proud. This semester I have been taking a significant amount of time to learn functions in excel to assist my duties as the Treasurer of the Ski Club. I was extremely proud of myself for taking what I learned online and applying it to my own life and creating a functional, efficient, aesthetically pleasing system to manage our finances.
Tell us about some of your career aspirations. It’s totally ok if you aren’t sure yet! This can be as specific or as general as you want. After speaking with a few recruiters for different companies recently, I definitely aspire to have a career in research and development or the actual engineering of various projects. I truly enjoy getting creative with ideas and seeing them put into action just as much as I enjoy the problem solving part of making existing products more efficient, cost effective, or overall alter them to the customer desires. I am currently still very flexible about what kind of products I would like to produce, whether that be something as everyday as a razor or as specialized as a satellite.
Who is a role model for you/someone that you look up to and why? My biggest role model in my life is my mom. Not only did I choose the same major she chose, but she is also one of the smartest and strongest people I have ever met. I aspire to be able to take a problem and solve it in a way using thought processes she would.
Do you have a favorite quote/what is a saying that you live by? My dad has said several things to me over the course of my life and, whether he is quoting them from somewhere else (most likely) or came up with them on his own, there are a few quotes he has said to me I live by everyday, including:
-"Play the long game" -"If it is not in your sphere of influence of sphere of control, it is not worth your time worrying about it" -"Hope is not a strategy" -"Don't be like an ostrich and stick your head in the sand and pretend you don't exist" (when someone chooses to ignore a problem)
All of these quotes have shaped me into the person I am today, not only because they are witty, but because they are applicable in the rawest sense to many difficult situations that allow me to take a step back and act appropriately.