Oceans of Opportunity with Kelsea

Transcript

We are so excited for you to meet Kelsea, an ocean engineering major from Charleston, South Carolina. UNH is world famous for ocean research, so Kelsea knew this was the place to be for her major. Kelsea, let’s hear all about it.

– Thanks, Alex. In high school, I fell in love with both robotics and the ocean. I participated in a national robotics competition called SeaPerch, which combined these passions. However, when looking at colleges, I struggled to find a place where I could do both engineering and marine sciences until I found the University of New Hampshire. From day one, I have been able to get my hands wet, building and testing ocean instruments right here in the Jere A. Chase Ocean engineering laboratory. All the ocean engineering professors do their research here so it’s easy to join any project you’re interested in, from offshore wind turbines to sustainable seafood. This building also houses the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, a world leader in ocean exploration. Students here get to work with incredible technology like BEN and DriX, our $1 million remote operated vehicles used for ocean mapping. Outside of my classes, I’m also involved in the Society of Women Engineers, a student organization focused on building an inclusive environment for all people in STEM. I joined as a first year student not sure what to expect, and ended up finding mentors and best friends. Now I’m president and have loved becoming a mentor for the current first year students. We make sure our members have a safe place to relax and better themselves. When I got here, I was so scared. Not sure I could do engineering or live so far from home. However, I found support everywhere from the dean of my college to my classmates. This community has taught me that I can do hard things like going for my PhD next year. I hope your college search leads you to a place you love as much as I love UNH. Back to you, Alex.

– What an awesome story, Kelsea. You really did roll up your sleeves and get your hands wet in these extraordinary research facilities. How great is it that UNH invite students at every level to work alongside internationally known professors on important research, and your commitment to supporting other women in STEM is inspiring. Great job, Kelsea.