A Dreamt Career Goal
I chose to major in biomedical engineering because the thought of helping people who need a prosthetic body part interested me early on in my childhood. Learning about prothetics fascinates me and with the skills I am gaining through the School of Engineering at Mount Union are helping me become an expert to provide the best, comfortable, and most importantly, affordable prosthetics to people in need of them. Additionally, I have gotten to begin conducting research with Dr. Al-Zube and fellow BMEs on using EEG waves to control a haptic robotic arm, which is serving as a real-world experience to understand the process of building a prosthetic of any kind. Time in the laboratory is also helping me enhance my skillset as an engineer as I enjoy putting to work the class concepts I learn in lectures.
Choosing a Home Away from Home
A family friend's son was a mechanical engineering student at Mount Union and he loved the program, so I decided to look deeper into the School of Engineering. I also liked that Mount Union was close to home which allowed me to continue my involvement with outside organizations. Mount Union has a nice student-to-professor ratio which I like because I get to interact with my professors to expand not only my skillset, but build a network system. One of my favorite activities to engage in is Esports; I enjoy spending time in the designated facility for Esports athletes. It has become a place where I can go study, play games with teammates or friends from home who visit, and allows for creativity with the production.
Overcoming Obstacles
As an honors and engineering student, I had to learn different study methods, and time management skills in order to continue achieving academic success and spend time with friends and peers in student organizations. College has a faster pace and the class content is harder, so if I wanted to maintain high grades as well as be involved on campus, I needed to find a study method that worked for my learning style. Setting time aside to do homework, study, carry out my campus job, and attend club meetings was vital to me as I wanted the drive I had in high school to continue in college because I like being active. The skills I've gained by overcoming these obstacles will also help me as an engineer upon graduating from Mount Union.