Student Perspective: Brenna Ryan
| Author: | Brenna Ryan |
|---|---|
| Event Date: | September 19, 2017 |
Brenna Ryan
Brenna Ryan is a senior from St. Louis, Missouri studying Multidisciplinary Engineering with a concentration in General Engineering/Pre-Med. In addition to MDE, Brenna is actively involved on campus as the Gold of Philanthropy and RRLT for the Purduettes and the Programming Executive for Purdue's Chapter of College Mentors for Kids.
Q&A with Brenna
Why did you decide to join MDE?
I decided to join MDE because I needed a way to combine my desire to go to medical school with the ability to finish my engineering degree. I was a CODO from the College of Construction Engineering and Management, where completing the pre-med requirements would've put me at a 5th year until graduation. Luckily, enough of my engineering credits transferred to qualify me for the MDE program. At first I didn't realize what a great program I had entered into, I just saw a way for me to graduate on-time and save money. Now that I've been a part of the program for a bit longer, I've begun to appreciate the degree even more than when I started.
What is your favorite thing about MDE?
I love how small the school is. I know a lot of my classmates and I know one or two of my professors very well. I never appreciated the fact that I knew everyone's names in my classrooms in high school, its really wonderful to be able to do that again. Not to mention, Professor Pilotte has really helped me make connections with potential job offers, career paths, and counsel me through a few difficult decisions. Being able to have a mentor like that is so special and not very common throughout some of the other disciplines.
What are your plans for after graduation?
When I graduate, I hope to work and gather more experience in the healthcare industry. I'd love to contribute to the development of new software or devices to better the health experience of patients across the nation and world. After a few years of technical experience, I plan on applying to medical school. My hope is that the combination of a technical engineering degree with an advanced degree in medicine will adequately prepare me to practice medicine while also assisting in the design and development of medical devices to be used across the world.
How do you define “Purple Squirrel”?
Purple Squirrel to me is a representation of the MDE mission. We are multifaceted in our talents and points of view. The variety of our experiences truly allow us to bring a new outlook to any engineering team, thereby presenting new opportunities for innovation of designs.