Matt Krott
	Mechanical Engineering
	Mathematics
	Class of 2013

Hometown: West Deptford, New Jersey

High School: West Deptford High School

Extracurricular Activities: THON, Tau Beta Pi

Internship/Co-op Experience: Pratt & Whitney

Research Experience: Penn State Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence - Helicopter Tailboom Vibrations & Shape-Morphing Rotors

Why did you choose to come to Penn State? Penn State's College of Engineering has a fantastic reputation, but what really sold me was the sense of school pride. "We are" isn't just something we yell at tour groups - it's a mentality that Penn State is one big community.

What has been your best memory as an engineering student? At Pratt & Whitney, I was part of a group of interns that made a presentation to the VP of Engineering about ways to improve the intern program. Since we gave the presentation, Pratt has implemented several of the things we suggested, so it really feels like we were able to make an impact even though we were "just interns."

What advice would you give a first-year engineer? Don't get overly caught up in grades. They show that you are responsible and have a good work ethic, but it's not like Boeing or GE isn't going to hire someone who got a B in freshman calculus. Get involved in a bunch of organizations early on and find something you are passionate about - leadership positions and experience mean way more to a company than your transcript!

What do you plan to do after graduation? I plan to find a full-time position in the aerospace and defense industry.

What has been your best experience outside of engineering at Penn State? Gotta be THON. You might not understand what the big deal is at first, and it's hard to explain if you haven't seen it for yourself. That being said, THON is probably one of the coolest and most unique philanthropies in the world. I've learned a lot from the people I met in THON and I would highly recommend getting involved in some way.