Name: Julia Selden

 

Hometown: Brackenridge (or Pittsburgh if you want just a general area)

 

High School: Highlands High School

 

Activities Outside of WEPO: I am involved with SWE, SWE's THON organization, IM sports, and I hope to audition for an acapella group this semester.

 

Internship/Co-Op Experience: N/A

 

Why did you choose to come to Penn State? When I was going on tours of campuses, I toured both Penn State and Pitt which were the schools I was narrowed down to. I knew that both had very good engineering programs, so my thought was "Go to the school that makes you feel like you never left home." Low and behold as soon as I saw Penn State's campus while driving along College Ave. I fell in love. I knew from that moment that this was where I wanted to go and here I am a year later, still loving it.

 

What has been your best memory as an engineering student? My best memory as an engineering student was realizing how close knit the members of SWE are, and knowing that those people are like my sisters. In a way, SWE is like a sorority in my eyes with how close and sister-like everyone is. I know I can rely on the girls there for any circumstance, I can ask the older ones for advice, and this year I can be there for the first year engineers.

 

What has been your best memory as a Penn State student? My best memory at Penn State was definitely the Homecoming game against Michigan last football season. The game fell on my birthday so it was already a great day for me. The intensity of the game between the players and stadium fans was unreal, and the adrenaline in the last quarter of the game into overtime was everything I hoped a football game could be. That day was just unbelievable.

 

What advice would you give a first-year engineer? The best piece of advice I can give is that despite what you think, you are not alone, and do not be afraid to reach out for help. It doesn't matter what situation you're stuck in, whether it's dealing with roommate problems, doing poorly in a class, missing home, or just not feeling up to par, there is always someone is going through the same problem or has already gone through it. It feels like the end of the world, but if I can power through it, anybody can power through it. Just don't forget about the people that love you :)

 

Give me one fun fact about yourself. I can cluck like a chicken :)

 

 

Julia is a sophomore studying Chemical Engineering.