I'm naturally adept at math and science, so I chose to major in engineering, but I'm also interested in medicine. Last summer, I decided to combine all of those passions and design a medical device for surgeons.

I applied for and was accepted into the Glenn Stokes Research Internship Program. The program paid me a stipend, and I worked with a faculty mentor, Dr. Osama Ettouney. With his help, I designed a surgical needle driver, which is a device surgeons can use to close lacerations and incisions more efficiently.

Miami is a large school, but I've found the engineering department to be very intimate. All of my professors know me by name. Dr. Ettouney is my adviser, and he's really taken me under his wing. He's like my on-campus dad. He's assured me that I'll be able to keep refining the needle driver as I move through the upper-level engineering courses. Before I graduate, I hope to build a handheld prototype.

One thing I love about the engineering school is they're not afraid to let you use the equipment. There is equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars, and I'm flipping the switches and tinkering with it.

Outside of engineering, I've enjoyed taking the classes that are required by the Miami Plan. I can get so caught up in math and science, so I appreciate classes that give my brain a chance to think of something different. I especially enjoyed a gerontology class that I took last year. It made me feel closer to my grandmother. We looked at all aspects of aging, and we even discussed retirement plans. It was definitely useful information.

This spring, instead of taking classes at Miami, I will be spending the semester working for NASA at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. I'll be working with other students from around the country and with NASA engineers researching the use of solar panels on aircraft. I'm so excited to do something hands-on and see how engineers operate in the real world.