Biomedical engineering merges student’s interests

The co-op program was a huge draw for me, and I knew that with real-world experience tied in so closely with my education, I would be a great engineer. What really made my decision easy was visiting campus. I love that the football field is the center of campus and I love how you get a small campus feel with the four roads enclosing the area, but you also get big school advantages, like networking and so many student organizations.

My parents are both in the medical field, so I was halfway between medicine and engineering. I chose biomedical engineering somewhat on a whim because it happened to combine both of those things. Now I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I love the idea that these products are used every single day to save and change lives.  

My third co-op was very different. I was at a larger corporate company called Boston Scientific and we had a group of 100 interns. I loved being in Minneapolis in the summer and was actually provided with housing in a very nice facility with 30 of the interns. I was working as a process development engineer, half at my desk and half on the manufacturing floor, attempting to qualify new machines and processes. Some of the verification testing was on devices that are supporting an active clinical trial which was really neat!

I was planning to go back to Boston Scientific for my final co-op in the summer of 2020, but they cut their program due to the pandemic. I scrambled and managed to find a new role as a business development intern at iBio Inc. in Texas, where I did market research for our biomaterials launch and worked to bring in new clients. I’ve stayed on part-time at iBio throughout my senior year. It’s really been a fantastic experience and my responsibilities have shifted so much over that time (from manufacturing dashboards, to project scheduling, to commercial launch lead, to supply chain analyst).  

Through co-op, I’ve learned to be very adaptable in all situations. I’ve worked in four very different roles at three very different companies and I learned something new from each one. For the future, I’ve decided to try manufacturing engineering, which is something I didn’t try on co-op. I think co-op has given me a ton of confidence in the workplace that I wouldn’t have otherwise.  

I’ve enjoyed getting involved with outreach events for younger kids who are interested in learning about STEM through various avenues (Society of Women Engineers, Phi Sigma Rho and my co-op companies). I remember going to STEM camps when I was in middle school and it was always so fun and exciting. I like to see that spark and creative energy in younger kids and help them foster their curiosity.

Similarly, I’ve found a passion in Engineering Ambassadors sharing my experience and advice with high schoolers who are considering engineering or UC. Since I’ve had so many great mentors along the way I love giving back in any way I can.

Due to AP credits, I realized I was a bit ahead in my academic schedule and I wanted to dive deeper into the technical side of engineering beyond what I was experiencing in my undergraduate career. I’ve been able to focus my degree on some data science topics that I find extremely interesting and applicable to so many problems (both business and manufacturing). The professors have been great and extremely helpful. Specifically, I enjoyed classes on Big Data Analytics and Soft Computing Based AI.  

I plan to join Millipore Sigma as a part of their Operations Leadership Development Program. I'll move around the country to four different locations within the supply chain, manufacturing and procurement departments. I’m most looking forward to the opportunity to act as a production supervisor and to all the new experiences that come with travelling and getting to network with people around the country!