Many times, students are told that they have to choose between industry and graduate studies after graduation which can be a hard decision to make when you have interests in both worlds. Not to mention, the thought of being both a professional and a student can be daunting. Balancing both can be difficult but is by no means impossible. Come talk to a current young professional/grad student about pursuing multiple interests and maintaining the balance between school, work, and life.
Rachel is a Systems Analyst/Test Engineer at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She graduated from Pitt with her degree in Mechanical Engineering where she was involved with Pitt SWE and FiERCE. Currently, she is also working on her PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland. In her tiny amounts of free time, Rachel enjoys soccer, volleyball, hiking and baking.