Being from Indiana, I had to make the tough decision between Purdue and University of Illinois. I ultimately went with Illinois for a few reasons. The new ECE Building opened my freshman year which allowed incoming students to be introduced and work with brand new equipment from the get go. Next, I saw the faculty within the ECE department was incredibly diverse and skillful - on top of doing cutting edge research, these professors teach foundational courses throughout the curriculum. Lastly, the main quad felt right at home, I loved it at first sight. Choosing to go to Illinois was easily one of the best decisions I have made in my life; the sheer amount of opportunities that I have come across on campus have made the out-of-state tuition worth it. Further more, the professional and personal connections I have made while here will stick with me for years to come.

Being able to travel to Penn State with Dean Brunet and Dr. Amos for the national EA conference. The trip really solidified my passion for outreach and technical communication.

My favorite part of being an engineering student is the depth of material taught. Many people think engineering is incredibly hard due to the theory taught, but in reality the "toughness" comes from the amount of work that can be presented at times. Illinois' reputation is built around this idea, and with enough motivation and persistence, anyone can be successful. The curriculum forces students to have discipline, time management skills, and to be creative. These traits will prove extremely useful in the real-world when it comes to problem solving.

Engineering Ambassadors initially caught my attention due to the outreach with local schools. During high school, I was a teacher for a pre-school and grew to love working with kids. Part of EA's core mission is to get students of all ages interested in STEM by engaging them with fun activities and introducing critical thinking skills. I stuck with EA due to the technical communication aspect. Using the assertion-evidence technique that EA bases their presentations off of, I now feel comfortable and confident with public speaking, something I never thought I would be able to do well.

Follow your passion even if you struggle sometimes in class - it wasn't meant to be easy. GPA doesn't matter anywhere as much as experience and networking. Also, be sure to have fun with it and be involved elsewhere outside of STEM. This will keep you from burning out!

I will be working as a Software Engineer for John Deere's Combine Team in East Moline, Illinois.