Hobbies: Loves to cook, go on walks, and spend time outdoors
Major & Why
Nataly is majoring in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering. She finds nuclear technology fascinating and important to study. She became interested after taking a WYSE summer camp at UIUC. She was blown away by the program and discovered her love for physics, computer science, and math. She loves studying nuclear power and learning about the clean effects of this technology.
Life at UIUC
Favorites: Nataly loves the endless opportunities there are on campus. She looked at many smaller schools for the close knit community they provided. Nataly was happy to discover that at UIUC you can feel connected with many community groups while also having the option to branch out.
Why Choose UIUC: Nataly thought that UIUC provided a super unique major. It allowed for a broader field of study and a chance to branch out to meet many new people.
RSOs
Women in Nuclear – Social Media Chair
American Nuclear Society- Active Member
Extracurriculars
Jobs: Advanced Reactors and Fuel Cycles
Nataly works for this computational research group in tech editing and reviewing literature. She is beginning to get interested in research this upcoming semester by analyzing different ways nuclear power affects the community and environment at large.
After Graduation
Nataly is very interested in public policy relating to energy laws. She wants to close the gap between people who understand it and the people who implement it.
Advice to Freshmen
“Say yes as often as you can.” Nataly advises to try to do as many things as you can, without getting overwhelmed. You never know what your passions will be and who your friends are. Take chances while you can.
Being a Woman in STEM
Nataly believes that although there is a stigma that women in STEM are ‘nerds’, she has learned that there are SO many amazing women in engineering. She has found her girl gang that has become her closest friends through this degree. There are many female engineers that you can look up to in this major.
