Name: Jessica Smith

 

Hometown: York, PA

 

High School: Central York

 

Activities Outside of WEPO: Penn State Athletics employee, Engineering Ambassadors, SWE

 

Internship/Co-Op Experience: Lighting design intern with Atelier Ten in New Haven, CT

 

Why did you choose to come to Penn State? I come from a big Penn State family, one of few schools on the east coast that had my major, and you really can't beat the engineering program at PSU. Plus, I just love everything about it.

 

What has been your best memory as an engineering student? Having the opportunity to speak at the Leonard Center Speaking Contest was absolutely incredible. It opened so many doors for me and has changed my views on presentations and public speaking. The influence that it has had on my first internship is something that I never would have expected. Having great public speaking skills is incredibly valuable in any professional setting.

 

What has been your best memory as a Penn State student? Fifth row seats at the Michigan game. Doesn't get any better than that(:

 

What advice would you give a first-year engineer? Don't stress out too much. I promise you have time in your schedule to get everything done, so don't worry about it. I did almost zero extracurricular activities outside of school and my job my first semester because I was so worried about the workload. It's never a good thing to get that wrapped up in studies, give yourself a little free time!! It will allow you to de-stress and will even make you more efficient when you do spend time on hw. It's true, I promise.

 

Give me one fun fact about yourself. I lived in North Yorkshire, England for 7 years! I most definitely plan on making a return trip(:

 

 

Jess is a junior studing Architectural Engineering.