Lara Kaiserian
	Architectural Engineering
	Architectural Studies, Mathematics
	Class of 2014

Hometown: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

High School: Radnor High School

Extracurricular Activities: Women's Club Water Polo, Homecoming, THON

Internship/Co-op Experience: EwingCole

Why did you choose to come to Penn State? When I was in sixth grade, my oldest brother was recruited to the Penn State varsity swim team. A few year later, my next brother also decided to swim for Penn State. Throughout the rest of middle school and high school, I spent countless weekends in State College, watching swim meets and football games and spending time with my brothers.
Eventually, the time came to make my college decision. I found myself comparing every school I looked at to Penn State, and each of them came up short. The academic and extracurricular opportunities available at Penn State are simply unmatched. There are hundreds of majors to choose from and an endless list of clubs and activities. No matter where your interests lie, there is a place for you. I didn't know what I wanted to do when I was choosing schools, and I knew that at Penn State, I could go in any direction.

What has been your best memory as an engineering student? My best experience as an engineering student has been spending an entire summer studying abroad through the Architectural Engineering department. I participated in two 7-week programs last summer, one in Rome and one in China, and got to see firsthand everything that I was learning about in classes. My time in Rome really gave me a sense of where architecture began, and China helped me to both build an appreciation for a culture that is completely different from mine and see where architecture and building engineering are headed. I don't know how else I would have had the opportunity to get such an in-depth view of both countries, and the experience completely changed my view of the world.

What advice would you give a first-year engineer? Try everything! Go to the involvement fair, put your name down on anything that looks even mildly interesting, and go to the first meeting. If you like it, keep going. If you don't, you can always take your name off the list. Don't be closed-minded! There are so many things to do at Penn State, and if you don't go out and find them, you're bound to miss out. Penn State is only a big school if you don't do anything to meet people and make it smaller.
If you like playing sports, one activity in particular that I would recommend is joining a club team. Club sports are a great way to compete without having to commit to a D1 team, giving you time to balance other activities and schoolwork. Joining the water polo club was one of the best decisions I made freshman year!

What do you plan to do after graduation? After graduation, I hope to work for an Architectural Engineering firm doing lighting and electrical design work. After studying abroad, I've gotten much more interested in international projects, and I would love to get the chance to work on buildings around the world!

What has been your best experience outside of engineering at Penn State? My sophomore year, the water polo team won the regional tournament and qualified for Nationals! We traveled to Notre Dame for the tournament and got the chance to compete at a level that I had never experienced before. Many of the teams there are some of the best in the country, so watching the other games was awesome and actually getting to play was unreal! I was our starting goalie, and I'll never forget the feeling of diving to block a shot with hundreds of people watching. It's impossible to explain the emotion, noise, and energy that filled the natatorium, but I still get excited just thinking about it. We ended up coming in 8th place, which is the best finish in Penn State Women's Water Polo history!