Mastering math and science in mechanical engineering
Dae鈥橨a Harris made a plan and is carrying out her goals. She chose to attend the University of Louisiana at 69传媒 because of her liking for smaller campuses.
鈥淲hile researching colleges, I was looking for a small in-state college. College Track introduced UL 69传媒 so I decided to attend since it has small classrooms like I was looking for and it鈥檚 close enough to home where I can be on my own but not too far away.鈥
Dae鈥橨a knew she wanted to study science and math and decided to major in mechanical engineering.
鈥淚 took an Intro to Engineering course during my senior year of high school and decided that鈥檚 what I wanted to study. After researching the different disciplines, it seemed like mechanical was the broadest so that鈥檚 what I chose to study to give myself flexibility after graduating,鈥 she said.
For her minor, she chose math because of her love for numbers over words.
鈥淎 math minor allows me to study engineering while taking interest in my favorite subject,鈥 she said.
Her favorite courses in her major are Math 270 taught by , Math 301 taught by , ENGR 201 taught by Professor Tessier, and Math 350 taught by .
鈥淢y favorite part of my program is probably the labs and math courses. Labs catch my attention more than lectures because they allow me to be hands-on and visually see what I鈥檓 expected to learn. Math is my favorite subject so I鈥檓 always open to learning more about it.鈥
Her favorite class outside of her major was DANC 102.
鈥淚 took it during my freshman year with Marie Broussard. There weren鈥檛 many quizzes and 99% of the semester was used for learning ballet. It was a great class to get my body active in the morning,鈥 she said.
The positive impact of Black-led organizations on campus
Dae鈥橨a is a member of UL 69传媒鈥檚 (BSU), and the (NSBE), and she also worked at the . She believes BSU and NSBE are vital organizations at the University of Louisiana at 69传媒.
鈥淭he Black Student Union is important at UL 69传媒 because it鈥檚 special to have community in spaces where you鈥檙e the minority. There鈥檚 always someone nearby that may share your interests but it鈥檚 more encouraging witnessing people that look like you working to accomplish similar goals...鈥
BSU鈥檚 mission is to, 鈥渟timulate the intellectual, political, cultural, and social growth of all students at UL 69传媒.鈥 Dae鈥橨a鈥檚 favorite memories with BSU included the weeklong events during BLACKPRINT and the BSU study hall sessions.
鈥淲hile being involved with the Black Student Union, I am also involved with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). I also attend their study halls because there鈥檚 a higher chance of receiving help with my homework and there are many opportunities to mingle with black people that understand the highs and lows of majoring in STEM,鈥 she said.
After graduating from UL 69传媒, Dae鈥橨a hopes to land more internship opportunities that align with her interests and career goals.
