Charles Baker
	Mechanical Engineering
	Bioengineering
	Class of 2014

Hometown: Saratoga Springs, New York

High School: Saratoga Springs High School

Extracurricular Activities: IM Sports, hiking

Internship/Co-op Experience: Mann Wireless Ltd., Environmental Design Partnership

Why did you choose to come to Penn State? After visiting Penn State I fell in love with the campus and atmosphere, everyone I met seemed so kind and intelligent. I remember getting the pleasure of touring around Hammond and seeing/hearing about some of the work/research being done by the current students and professors. All of this was so impressive to me at the time and I knew I wanted to be a part of all the groundbreaking work being done right on the Penn State campus. I also recall being very impressed by the statistics that were shown regarding the number of student engineers who graduate with jobs and the salaries of those who do. After visiting the campus, I knew there was so much for the Penn State community to offer me as a prospective engineer and I truly understood why it is considered such a respected university.

What has been your best memory as an engineering student? I would say the best memory I have to date as an engineering student was working in a biomedical research lab on campus last year. I learned so much valuable informaiton and I was only working there for about a semester. The lab experience actually led me to become very familiar with the Learning Factory machine shop on campus. I designed and made numerous components for the lab and, in doing so, I learned how to use almost all of the machines. Because of this experience, I am Learning Factory Certified and love to challenge myself and learn new things in the shop. I would say these are some of the best skills I have learned independently at this university and I will forever remember the experience I had. In fact, I am looking forward to continuing my work in this lab this upcomming year.

What advice would you give a first-year engineer? As for advice to first year engineering students… I would remind them of what they have already achieved by being accepted to such a prestigious university. I would also encourage them to take advantage of the freedom Penn State allows their students while at the same time giving them so many opportunities for a successful future. Therefore, it is their responsibility to get involved and make the very most of their Penn State experience. The more things you can participate in and put on your resume the better, recruiters love a packed resume; however, make sure you have details/stories to go along with everything you put down. Lastly, I would tell them to start going to career fairs this year, the more interview experience you have with recruiters the easier it will be to land your dream job in the future.

What do you plan to do after graduation? Upon graduating from Penn State I would like to attend grad school to further my studies in the Biomedical Engineering realm. When I am all done with school and ready to obtain a job, I hope to design orthopedic implants, minimally invasive pumps, or prosthetics.

What has been your best experience outside of engineering at Penn State? Outside engineering at Penn State the best experience I’ve has was working for Mann Wireless through an internship last summer. Although it wasn’t necessarily the type of engineering I am interested in I feel like I gained a lot of engineering experience and it really gave me a good taste of what to expect when I leave Penn State for a job in a couple of years.