EIP Student Profile: Brooke Nesselt

Major

Mechanical Engineering, Junior

High School

Poolesville

Scholarships and Awards

A. James Clark School of Engineering Scholarship, Northrop Grumman Scholarship, Shapiro and Duncan Scholarship for Women and Minorities in Engineering

Internships/Jobs

Northrop Grumman, Teaching Assistant for HEIP 143 and HEIP 144, HEIP 241, and Teaching Fellow for ENES 100, Deloitte Strategy and Operations (summer 2018)

Why I Chose EIP

Back when I was applying, I knew engineering was something I was interested in. Pairing engineering with an entrepreneurial education seemed beneficial in that it enabled me to diversify my skill set and set me apart from most engineers.

Why I Chose UMD

For me, Maryland made sense, considering I lived in Maryland my whole life. We’d visited for sporting events. My mother is a Maryland alumna. I love the campus. In addition, having such a great engineering program at my in-state university for the price of in-state tuition made it a great value to come here.

What I've Learned Through EIP

EIP helped me most with developing my entrepreneurial mindset. I now look at different problems people face every day and see them through a different lens. Engineers look at problems one way, but EIP has helped me see the complex components that are part of worldwide and social problems as well. The program has given me a toolkit to see opportunities and solutions.

Activities at UMD

During my first two years at UMD, I participated in Engineers Without Borders as a project team member. We worked on the Peru project. This involved designing and constructing a bridge for pedestrians in Compone, Peru. That bridge will be built this coming summer.

I was also in the FLEXUS Women in Engineering Program (now the Flexus: The Dr. Marilyn Berman Pollans Women in Engineering Living & Learning Community) during my freshman and sophomore years. Through this program, we built a strong community of fellow engineers.

I am a member of the QUEST Honors Program. This semester, through QUEST, I am consulting for Lockheed Martin and looking at how they can implement cost savings in the supply chain with three other students (two are EIP students as well). QUEST is complementary to EIP, in that it has shown me the business aspect of things and how that plays into the problem-solving process.

This year, I started studying the German. My goal is to become fluent in that language. I visited Germany this past summer and enjoyed the time I spent there. I could see myself potential moving there. I enjoyed the culture and the work-life balance. Regardless, a second language is a good skill to have.

What I Hope to Do with My Career

I am still trying to figure that out. Last summer I worked in the defense industry. This summer I am trying to do something completely different in the consulting industry. I am hoping that helps me evaluate my options for the future. I really enjoyed doing the case competition with Deloitte.

Startup Aspirations

I am a risk-averse, structured person. I do not know if I see myself in the startup arena out of school. Perhaps later, when I have more experience and subject matter credentials, I will feel better equipped to pursue a startup.