Name: Mizelle Hornilla
Class: Senior
Hometown: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Major: Industrial Engineering
Why did you apply to be a student ambassador?
I applied at the end of my freshman year because I wanted to share my own experiences and advice to the prospective students. I remember enjoying the student panel from the College of Engineering (CoE) when I came to visit UM, and I wanted to give that same experience and perspective to other prospective students.
What advice would you offer to new engineering students?
New students should come into engineering with an open mind and ready to learn.
What do you feel is unique about being a student at UM College of Engineering?
I love being a student at the College of Engineering at UM because I have the opportunity to pursue my interests with ease. I wanted to involve myself in research to learn the very technical side of Industrial Engineering, and I am still working with Dr. Celik, an associate professor in the department of Industrial Engineering. I have developed a great professor-student mentorship with her. Additionally, I get to network and discover more about IE’s around the world through the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. Dr. Miville, the advisor for IISE and assistant professor in the department, has given me so much guidance on IISE as an org and being an IE student. Following what I am passionate and curious about has allowed me to connect with my professors and other students.
Describe what you are doing in this position.
I enjoy being able to share my own experiences and what I have gotten out of the College of Engineering with other students. I hope that hearing what I have to say gives ease to students trying to make a decision on what they want to study, where, and being confident studying engineering as a discipline in general.
What did you learn at CoE that has helped you in your position?
I learned how to interact with strangers or groups that I haven’t dealt with before. This improves my skills in interpersonal relations and interacting with those I don’t know.
Which College student organization stands out to you and why?
I think the student organization that stands out to me the most is student government. The people that come out of this group are leaders of the campus that a lot of people on campus know. Additionally, they have so much power when it comes to planning events, making changes in the school and so much more. I have several friends who went through Freshman Leadership Council and Senate, and they are very bright people whom I know will be successful later in life and have a strong influence on the world.
What do you feel you are getting out of this position?
I improved my public speaking skills and maintained good relations with those younger than me and alumni.
Why has this been a good experience for you?
At one of the events, we were helping at the opening of the Johnson and Johnson Collaborative Laboratory. I got to meet Julio Frenk which was awesome, but I felt that I was able to have this experience because I was part of the group representing students at the College of Engineering. This similar experience is with prospective students. I get to be a representative of the CoE and be able to reflect on my own experiences hoping that other students can have similar great experiences.
What did you do during your summer 2019 break?
I am currently interning at Citrix Systems, Inc. as a Technical Support Intern. I am focusing on data analytics to drive insights on eService use by using SQL Server and Tableau. I’ve gone to Miami a few times to hang out with friends and Orlando some other times for short vacations.
