Name: Aleksa Susinskas

 

Hometown: Kirtland, OH

 

High School: Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School

 

Activities Outside of WEPO: Club Triathlon, Newman, Bridges to Prosperity, Lithuanian folk dancing

 

Internship/Co-Op Experience: UAB Techniniai Produktai in Vilnius, Lithuania

 

Why did you choose to come to Penn State? At first I had no desire to come to PSU, but then I visited and loved the campus. Then, I did some research about the engineering programs here and saw that Penn State Engineering is very reputable and highly respected. That pretty much closed the deal.

 

What has been your best memory as an engineering student? As odd as it sounds, I love all the work that I have to put into doing well here. Studying for exams is so hard, but I have made some really great friends because of it. And the feeling I get once I finally understand a concept that I have been struggling with for a while is priceless. (Yes, I am nerdy...)
WEPO '13 was amazing as well!

 

What has been your best memory as a Penn State student? I love running through the Arboretum with friends then going straight to the Creamery after to eat some well-deserved ice cream.

 

What advice would you give a first-year engineer? Ask for help as soon as you need it. Don't let yourself get behind in the material. Even if you think you understand, ask your professor to make sure you understand. In short, always go the extra mile. I was doing average job in one of my classes but thought the material would just click sometime so I didn't do anything about it. By the time the second exam came, it turns out that I didn't have the grasp on the material that I thought I did. After that I began going to office hours at least twice a week, which made a considerable difference. But that was a lot of slack that I had to make up that I might not have had I done things right from the start.

 

Give me one fun fact about yourself. I am a Lithuanian folk dancer.

 

 

Aleksa is a sophomore studying Civil and Environmental Engineering.