How did you hear about the program?

I heard about the program through one of my good friends who encouraged me to apply.

Tell me about your experience in PRIME.

I had a really great experience.  The first activity we did was to give a elevator pitch.  I was nervous because I’m not that good at public speaking, but the experience ended up being really beneficial.

When participating in PRIME, was there anything that surprised you?

I loved that I got to meet so many people from industry.  We were each set up with a mentor to help us, and I’m actually going to be talking to him later today about a potential internship.

What are you most proud of from your experience in PRIME?

I got way better at talking to people, especially talking to people who I admire and think are smart and successful in their field.

What are you studying at UCSB and why are you interested in it?

I am studying electrical engineering. I’ve always enjoyed science and math; I picked engineering because I like to fix things.

How has PRIME influenced your future plans?

Yes! My mentor I am meeting with later actually works at a computer science company, and even though I came into college as an electrical engineering major, I took some computer science classes and I ended up really like them.  I am actually in the process of transferring my major to computer engineering.

What did you want to be when you were younger? Is that still an interest of yours?

When I was younger I wanted to design LEGO kits.  If I ever have more free time  I would love to be the LEGO engineer.

Do you have any advice for people interested in becoming an engineering major?

You get as much out of it as you put in it.  It is really important to be involved in extracurricular activities that are still related to your field of engineering—like participating in hackathons, making side projects, or creating your own website or phone app.  That way, when you get to an actual interview, you can show a project you completed in addition to your classes, and it shows that you've gone beyond and invested yourself in your field.