What I Do I am a mechanical test engineer working in the aerospace industry. I support environmental testing of hardware for vibration and thermal vacuum tests.
Why Engineering? I had the opportunity to take a lot of technology courses in my middle school and high school. They were always some of my favorite classes and full of my favorite people. I enjoyed that everyday was different and there was always so much new to learn. Technology is changing every day and I find that so exciting. I really enjoyed flying, so I decided to go to college to major in Aerospace Engineering.
School Days BS in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State MS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Bridgeport
Best Part I love working in a lab and with the physical hardware. It is such a fun experience getting to actually see the items that my colleagues design. I love running tests and helping to get the hardware on to the next step or off to the customer.
Inspiration My father has always been my biggest inspiration and supporter. He always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. Nothing was off limits or beyond my reach. He is very talented with coding and IT systems, and while that is not one of my personal strengths - his love of tech led me to my career today.
Want to be an Engineer? I think it is important for girls to understand there are many, many different types of engineers. Always be learning and looking for new opportunities. Ask questions and find people who inspire you. Use every experience to learn something new or practice your skills.
Hobbies I love to be active and outside - snowboard, hiking, training for marathons, and yoga. When I'm not moving, I love to read and go to the movies.