Currently, I am a freshman student at the University of Notre Dame, majoring in chemical engineering. As my college career progresses, I plan to concentrate in biomolecular engineering and minor in peace studies. As a first time member during my senior year of high school, I joined the entrepreneurship and chairman’s teams, which specialize in presenting Nemesis’s business plan and core values. During my time with Nemesis, I really came to recognize and appreciate the value of promoting STEAM, especially in younger students. It was this promotion of STEAM that pushed me to further explore the field of engineering, leading me to where I am today.
On campus, I regularly volunteer as a lab assistant with the DNA Learning Center, devoted to fostering an enthusiasm for STEAM and assisting local middle and high school students in the gene age through hands-on, lab-based workshops. Over the course of this upcoming summer, I will continue to promote STEAM as a full-time employee for DNALC summer programs. Moreover, I maintain steady contact with FRC Team 3865 -located in neighboring South Bend- and plan to mentor their team in the 2016-2017 season.
As a member of Nemesis, one of the most valuable skills I gained from working on the entrepreneurship team was public speaking. My first year introduction to engineering course is very project-oriented often requires presentations on our progress. I am always surprised by how nervous my classmates get for these minor presentations. By presenting the chairman’s award and speaking to judges at FIRST competitions, I gained confidence in my public speaking abilities.