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#ILookLikeAnEngineer

Why did you choose engineering at CU Boulder?

I was exposed to CU Engineering when I got invited to attend a week long program @ CU Boulder called ASPIRE though the BOLD center before attending my first semester @ CU. In the one week span I came to love the environment of the engineering school and my peers I would be later studying with.

What does the #iLookLikeAnEngineer hashtag mean to you?

To me #ILookLikeAnEngineer means I don't have to fit the stereotype of the engineers shown in media to be an engineer. I, myself, the way I look, diverse female, am an engineer. 

What are three things that make you unique?

I moved to the United States with my family at the age of 8yrs old. The only words I knew in English were "Hi" and "Bye". Now I am fluent in English, Nepalese, and Hindi. I am CO-President of National Society of Black Engineers i.e. NSBE @ the CU Boulder chapter. I am very forgetful and clumsy.

What are your career goals?

I would like to work for a global company and one day open a non-profit organization to expose young girls to STEM and all its beautiful aspects, so no girl feels as if she isn't smart or good enough to be a future engineer.

What are your hobbies?

Adventuring, swimming, working out, playing badminton, binge watching TV shows, and procrastinating, I'm a pro at that.

Do you have a favorite quote or mantra?

You can be an absolute woman and also be smart and tough and not lose your femininity. - Priyanka Chopra

What do you enjoy most about engineering?

There are so many paths you are able to take and everyone's is different.

What is your favorite engineering experience?

Freshman year in my projects course my team and I build an Arduino run Greenhouse. At the expo, to present our project to the judges and the community, one of our judges told us "This could be a potential prototype you could send out into space." This really got my group and I excited because we had put in so much hard work into the final product.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I attended a very small high school which didn't offer engineering courses. Until the Aspire program in Summer 2015 I didn't have any exposure to engineering. Once I came into college it was difficult to get a hang on things, I was questioning my belonging in the engineering school. I was even considering to switch to a different major because I felt engineering wasn't for me.  However, you have to remember you're NOT the only one who is feeling this way. There are many students who are going through the same thing. For me I started working at the BOLD center as a GoldShirt student assistant and met the president of an engineering society NSBE, and found my sense of belonging. "Any transition is easier if you believe in yourself and your talent." - Priyanka Chopra

Everyone has a different experience of finding themselves in college don't be scared to venture out, to not just think outside the box but to look all around it, pick at it and ask questions on why it s the way it is. Engineering is a blend of everything and isn't as scary as it's put out to be as long as you put in the work.

Asmita Dhakal, Class of 2020, Pinnacle Charter High School Graduate, Computer Science