Extracurricular Activities
- Christian Fellowship Club - Bible Study - Philosophy Club - Student Worker, CSET Lab Technician
A Little Bit About Me
I am the oldest of four biological siblings, as well as the foster children that my family has opened their home to. My father is a pastor, and I have grown up attending Lutheran church every Sunday. One thing my parents have impressed upon me is the importance of family, religion, and holding firm in my values. I love working with kids and aspire to become a foster parent myself later in life. Although I am going to a STEM school and majoring in software engineering, the arts have always been a large part of my life. I have been involved in theater since fourth grade, first acting and then switching to the backstage side in high school, and I have been playing piano since I was six.
Why I Chose Oregon Tech and My Major
I chose Oregon Tech because it was one of the few schools I found with my desired major, software engineering. I want to go into software engineering because of my passion for the logical nature of computer programming, which I discovered in high school. Another aspect of Oregon Tech that appealed to me was its smaller size, which would allow for a better connection with professors, and its proximity to home.
My Influential Professors
Two of my most influential professors are Todd Breedlove and Dr. Syrnyk. Todd was one of the first CSET professors I had at OIT, and I really appreciate how much he cares about how we’re doing in our classes even if they aren’t his and the effort he makes to connect the girls in CSET with each other. Todd really helped me feel welcomed into the program confident in my decision to attend Oregon Tech. Dr. Syrnyk is also an influential professor. I appreciate how Dr. Syrnyk constantly challenges me and encourages me to become a more critical thinker. I know that the skills I’m refining with him will be an asset to me throughout my whole life.
My Greatest Learning Experience At Oregon Tech
The greatest learning experience I’ve had at Oregon Tech has been through the Honors Program. The Honors Program has taught me to think deeply about the ideas that make up our world; how abstract ideas shape concrete reality and how that impacts the way we view life. I had looked at ideas conceptually before, but I had never considered the impact beyond shaping how we think. Ideas are the building blocks of our world and by better understanding them, I can better understand the world I live in, far past the time I’m in college.
My Plans After Graduation
After graduating with my degree I plan to have a career in computer software. I hope that having a career in something I love doing will help me to have a good work-life balance, especially because I strongly feel that I am called to be a foster parent like my parents. Additionally, I believe that the high likelihood of jobs in this field being flexible or work from home will be beneficial for fulfilling my calling to foster.