What college/s have you attended since graduating Dana Hills?
I'm currently a senior at Duke University! (Go Devils)
What degrees have you completed?
I will graduate in May with a B.S.E in Civil Engineering and minors in architecture and political science.
What is your current occupation?
Beginning this August, I will be living in Nashville and working as a Project Manager for a design/build company focusing on development and construction of entertainment facilities and medical buildings across the southeast. I'm excited to be part of a small twenty-person team that is breaking into new markets for our company!
What would you say have been your most notable accomplishments since leaving Dana?
On my campus, I founded the first all-female living community, researched the effects of religiosity on mental health, edited the Duke Political Review, and built sets for student-run musicals. In internships, I worked on Irvine Company construction projects and did structural calculations for a flood wall at the World Trade Center in New York.
What classes/programs did you participate in while at Dana Hills?
At Dana, I spent a lot of my time in student government, newspaper, and yearbook. Outside of these organizations, I planned fundraisers like Mr. Dolphin for Make-A-Wish and had part-time jobs at a local hotel and tutoring center. My favorite courses were AP Gov with Mr. Wigglesworth, calculus with Mr. Degen and all my English classes.
What recommendations would you make to current Dana students looking to duplicate your successes?
Specifically as an engineering student, I've found my greatest strength is having a variety of experiences in and out of STEM. In job interviews, I speak as much about my experiences in theater and journalism as I do my technical skills. As cheesy as it sounds, I would say get involved — starting at the high school level — in everything that sounds interesting, then figure out later how it will contribute to your future.
Also, be friends with your teachers. College professors can be great industry-specific mentors, but at the end of the day your high school teachers are going to be the ones you go to for advice and encouragement no matter how many years it is after graduation. Added bonus, I've found high school teachers are much more willing to edit papers than my engineering professors have been!