UIUC has amazing undergraduate engineering and business programs and as someone with an interest in both, this school aligned well with my interests. There are also so many technical and professional opportunities the school offers that I am excited to be able to take part in. I also have family a couple hours from the school so it was a great balance between living in a new state and having family nearby.

I love being a part of the innovation and entrepreneurship programs at UIUC and have a lot of amazing and passionate people through them. The Health Make-a-Thons, Startup City Scholars/CNVC, and the Silicon Valley Entrepreneurship Workshop were some of my favorites.

I love being able to better understand the world around me and apply the concepts I learn to real world situations. As a bioengineering student I get to explore various areas of STEM and their intersections which I find to be very fascinating.

I joined Engineering Ambassadors because I love inspiring others to pursue STEM fields. When I was younger I had a lot of misconceptions about engineering that I would not have changed had I not joined underwater robotics by chance, so I would love to help others learn more about what engineering is really about.

Just because things are difficult or don’t always work the first time does not mean you cannot study engineering/STEM or that you aren’t smart enough. Take every opportunity as a learning experience, explore parts of different majors, and follow what feels right to you!

I plan to attend graduate school and pursue a PhD. In the long run, I hope to have a career working at the intersection of engineering, medicine, and business.