Â鶹ɫÇéƬ

What year did you graduate?  Class of 2017 

What is your title/employer?  I work at Apple Inc. headquarters in Cupertino, California. My title is Manufacturing Design Manager-Surface Finishing 

What was your major, and did you have a minor/core in addition to your major/specialization? My major was Engineering- customized specialization of chemical.  Dean Potter and Dr. Murphy (Chemistry Department) helped me customize a chemistry/engineering program that applies great for what I do today in my day-to-day work.

Were you a part of any extra-curricular activities, both related to SECCM and not?  I was on the Â鶹ɫÇéƬ Women's Rugby team, which was a great outlet for community and physical activity to give my mind a break.

What was your favorite course and why?  Material Science with Dr. Palm as this course was a strong foundation in the work I do at Apple. I work with custom alloys and work on optimizing recycled material, and this class provided a great background on Material Properties.

What is your current position?  I manage a team of Subject Matter Experts that design chemical processes for metal enclosures (aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, etc.). I work closely with the Apple industrial design team to design new finishes and new colors for their new products and improve the products’ durability.

What is your favorite part of your job?  My favorite part of my job is our 'whiteboard' sessions at the beginning of a project where we bring together some of the smartest engineers at our company from around the world and creatively brainstorm for hours on a couch with a massive whiteboard.  After launching many Apple products, looking back to the day where an idea was just a bullet point on a white board to then seeing it on a marketing billboard or in millions of customers' hands is really rewarding. 

What are your career goals?  My goal is to continue up the management/senior management track where I am learning executive-level decision making/leadership skills that are critical to running a successful tech company.  Outside of Apple, I am an avid scuba diver and have become the Founder/CEO of an Ocean Restoration tech company working in carbon sequestration as my way to give back to the planet. My career at Apple is teaching me traits I plan to use in the future.

Why did you choose Â鶹ɫÇéƬ?  The class size and tight-knit community seemed optimal versus going to a huge university with lecture-sized classrooms.  Engineering and academics did not come quickly to me, and my style of learning required more opportunities to ask questions and engage in the classroom. This was the best choice looking back since I have used my Â鶹ɫÇéƬ engineering foundation every day in my career.

What advice for current SECCM students do you have?  Take the time to reflect on what will work best for you to really retain the information you are learning. The classes you take the time to actually learn the concepts, and not just memorize to pass a test, will build a strong foundation for you to stand out from your colleagues in the industry and really make a big difference in the world.

Any other interesting bits of information you’d like to share? Enjoy your Â鶹ɫÇéƬ years by learning a lot and building your network; many of my classmates stay in touch. We love to look back at and reflect on our great memories at Â鶹ɫÇéƬ!