Hometown: North Aurora, Illinois

Current year: Senior

Miranda is a member of Purdue University's Running Club.

Why I chose Civil Engineering

I’ve always been an outdoorsy person and working with other people — I’ve been a runner since I was around seven or eight years old. And since I loved being outdoors — and I knew civil engineering worked a lot in the outdoors and with others — it just felt like a perfect match for me.

Emphasis area

I’ve always been fascinated with water. Where I grew up there have been some flooding issues, so that got me interested in it in the first place. I wanted to know more about why this was happening and how I could fix it.

Miranda studied in South America through the GEARE Program.

GEARE Program

One of my most memorable experiences here at Purdue was being part of the Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education (GEARE) Program. In GEARE, you start off and gain internship experience here in the United States, then you spend a semester on an international internship. Through GEARE, I was able to study in Colombia and it was such an incredible experience for me. I learned so much — not just from my research — but from the culture and the differences in how work is done in another country outside the U.S.

After I graduate

After I graduate in May, I will be working for a civil engineering firm. My plan, right now, is to spend at least a few years there. After that, I’ll consider whether I should pursue a graduate degree.

Miranda serves as a student leader in Boiler Gold Rush.