About Me
Designing and constructing an electromyography (EMG) circuit in BME 224.
Why BME and Chemistry?
Growing up, I had a preoccupation with learning how things worked and asking questions which stumped adults. As time progressed, my enjoyment of watching surgery videos, building Legos, and dissecting pig organs translated into an interest in STEM classes and careers. I chose chemistry as one of my dual degree pursuits because AP Chemistry was my favorite high school class. I chose biomedical engineering (BME) as my second degree because I was inspired by the idea of designing technologies to improve healthcare and human health.
While engineering was initially a step outside of my comfort zone, I discovered that I loved combining my creative and analytical faculties to solve design problems. Engineering has taught me problem-solving grit, how to think on a systems level, and how to collaborate and innovate as a team. At the same time, I've discovered from my campus experiences that I find it most gratifying to work with people directly, and I'm also exploring careers in medicine as a result. Whether I end up as a biomedical engineer or a physician, I am excited to pursue a career where my love of STEM and desire to help people intersect.
Professional Experiences
Letters painted by council members and other students at an end-of-semester interfaith event
Interfaith Intern
As an interfaith intern for Butler University's Center for Faith and Vocation, I facilitated biweekly discussions for a religiously diverse group of students. In this role, I strove to cultivate a sense of community and belonging by encouraging the exchange of ideas and experiences between council members, first as the sharing of personal narrative and later as engagement with controversial issues.
My work throughout the two semesters culminated in a council-driven interfaith tabling event and campus-wide discussion. Though I was quarantined during this time, the successful execution of the two events bore testament to the group camaraderie and ownership that I helped catalyze. This experience of community was the most rewarding part of my internship.
Leading the interfaith council played to my strengths as a deep thinker and compassionate listener while challenging me to retain this receptive posture in the face of beliefs and experiences that differed from my own. As a future physician or engineer, this willingness to listen thoughtfully will be crucial to understanding the needs of patients when providing care or designing a medical device, respectively.
Swim Instructor and Tutor
During my three-and-a-half years as a swim instructor and two years as a math tutor, I learned patience and persistence while sharing my enthusiasm for swimming and STEM with others. As a swim instructor, I often worked with other instructors to organize group lessons, which taught me how to collaborate with different work styles and mentor newer instructors.
As an instructor and tutor, I built relationships with my students and brainstormed creative ways to match their learning styles. My favorite part of teaching was witnessing the personal growth of each individual. As my tutees solved new problems or my swim lesson kids succeeded in overcoming fears and mastering new strokes, I realized that I have the ability to teach others in an empowering way.
If I become a physician, I want to utilize this skill by providing care which respects the unique health goals of each patient and empowers him or her to make informed decisions regarding treatment pathways. Whether as a physician or engineer, I also want to implement the lessons I learned as a new mentor instructor. When training less experienced coworkers, I want to adapt to their learning pace and be intentional about passing along knowledge, rather than making assumptions about what they will glean from observation alone.
Engineering
Theta Tau planting trees with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful
Theta Tau Regent
After executing 2-3 services events each semester for an academic year, I have since transitioned from the role of service chair to that of regent for the IUPUI-Butler Theta Tau engineering fraternity. Because our candidate chapter became less active during the pandemic, I have worked with the executive team this spring to revitalize traditions, increase attendance, and regain compliance with national safety and financial requirements.
As regent, I have learned the importance of delegating responsibilities and trusting my chairs to complete their duties. I made the mistake of trying to do everything myself when I first took over the role, and I quickly became exhausted and overwhelmed. Since then, I have shifted towards a big-picture strategy in which I support the executive team and make sure the chapter stays on track towards meeting our goals. This strategy has proved mutually beneficial as it empowers my executive team members to take charge of their roles while allowing me to focus on tasks that only the regent can complete.
Going forward, I am focused on helping the candidate chapter plan ahead for recruitment in the fall. Setting a spring schedule this semester helped us to increase attendance, and I am trying to apply the same strategy towards recruitment so that we can grow our membership and apply to become a full-fledged chapter next spring.
Volunteerism
Delivering boxes of PPE to nursing homes around Evansville
MedSupplyDrive Regional Coordinator
As the regional coordinator for Southwest Indiana, I perform outreach and deliver PPE to medical and community facilities experiencing pandemic-related shortages. To date, I've helped deliver 3,907 items of PPE to nursing homes and shelters around southwest Indiana.
Dual-Degree Mentor
As a student mentor for WEN and Butler's Engineering Dual Degree Program (EDDP), I meet with my mentees every several weeks to offer support, answer questions and address challenges. Through this role, I get to support students with different identities, aspirations, and responsibilities.
These interactions have taught me to be mindful of the unique challenges faced by others, such as the time management required of student-athletes. I keep striving to improve my mentorship skills because I relied on my older engineering mentor for advice and wisdom, and I want to pay it forward to other students!
Women's Engineering Network Chair
As chair of the Women's Engineering Network (WEN) for Butler, I recruit mentors and mentees, support mentor pairings, and organize community events.
Through serving as the WEN chair, I have strengthened my organizational leadership skills. When planning events, I consider the personal interests and transportation situations of every member to create a community environment which is welcoming and accessible to all.
Campus and Community Leadership
Showing spirit at the Crossroads Classic game.
Music
Butler University Athletic Bands Member
At Butler, I've marched one year in the marching band and played clarinet for three consecutive years in the basketball band. I love the spirit, music, and friendship of the ensembles, and I also enjoy serving the bands as a sister in the honorary music sorority Tau Beta Sigma.
Playing in the band sharpens my time management skills as I have to plan around rehearsals and performances. While this can at times be challenging, I ultimately choose to participate in band because I love the music and community. In this way, it is a restorative activity for me, which is especially important given the intense academic demands of my dual-degree program.
Clarinet section at a basketball game.
Teamwork Style
My strengths as a person and teammate include my ability to listen deeply, my commitment to being inclusive and respectful, my tremendous work ethic, strong organization and time management skills, and keen attention to detail. I enjoy work which engages my analytical thinking style and attention to detail while allowing me to build meaningful relationships with others. Sometimes my perfectionist pursuit of detail leads me to give or receive constructive criticism more harshly, or to struggle with indecisiveness as I try to find a perfect solution when one may not exist. I am working on balancing these aspects of myself by reframing feedback as opportunities for growth and learning better decision-making strategies, including knowing when to solicit advice and from whom.
When working with others, I follow through on my commitments and communicate when something goes awry. I desire that same level of dependability from my team members, and I do not enjoy having to motivate others a higher level of reliability. To achieve a committed and efficient team dynamic, I advocate for a clear division of responsibilities and proactive check-ins during group projects to determine progress, troubleshoot, and make adjustments accordingly. When I know that every team member is contributing his or her best, I am energized to keep making my best contributions.
Final working prototype of a group quadcopter design project in DD 190.