Scholar Spotlight: Alexandra Humston
School: University of Iowa || Major: Industrial Engineering
Alexandra is majoring in industrial engineering. She is preparing for life after college with a co-op and internship, and by completing an additional minor in psychology to expand her “engineering toolkit”. Scroll for more about Alexandra and the opportunities she has lined up!
How are you exploring your career and preparing yourself for life after college?
I am preparing for life after college by pursuing real-life work opportunities. I have accepted a co-op position as a quality engineer at CIVCO Medical Solutions. Because my degree in industrial engineering provides opportunities in a wide range of areas, such as quality control, process improvement, mechanical, operations, etc., I view the co-op as an opportunity to narrow my field of interest.
I also have a summer internship lined up at Tenneco in Burlington, where I will be able to enhance my hands-on experience and understanding in the field of manufacturing engineering.
Another way I am preparing for life after college is by completing a minor in psychology and a certificate in sustainability. I believe both will serve as valuable “tools in my engineering toolkit,” as my engineering professors like to say.
What is your favorite class and why?
My favorite class is Computers in Engineering. Although I will probably never use C++ in my career, I really enjoyed learning it. Being able to read and create code is like learning a new language that’s driven by math, which is something I feel comfortable with as an engineering student. In the class, we started knowing almost nothing, and by the end of the semester, we were able to design entire computer games!
What’s the best food on campus?
My favorite place is Airliner, which is right across the street from campus. It has the best pizza in Iowa City, by far, but don’t go there if you’re trying to avoid the Freshman 15. It’s just too good to resist!
What campus activities do you like to participate in?
Last year, I was president of the University of Iowa Waterski and Wakeboard Club. I joined the club my first semester of college and it helped me find a great group of friends and an opportunity to waterski and be involved with the university.