Kacie Long
	Electrical Engineering
	Class of 2012

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

High School: Upper St. Clair High School

Extracurricular Activities: EE Grading/Lab Assistant, EE Envoy, SWE, NSBE, SHPE, playing piano

Internship/Co-op Experience: GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, and Boeing

Why did you choose to come to Penn State? I chose Penn State first because of its excellent reputation as an engineering school, but also because once I had the opportunity to visit the campus, I fell in love with it.

What has been your best memory as an engineering student? So far, my favorite experience as an engineering student has been the opportunity to work as a co-op at GE Aviation. It was amazing to actually have the chance to do real engineering work. I learned so much, and I even met the love of my life there.

What advice would you give a first-year engineer? Don't expect anyone to hold your hand or present opportunties to you. While you may have some opportunities presented to you, it is up to you to have enough initiative to create them for yourself, and to take advantage of them when they exist. If you want to do something, go out and do it.

What do you plan to do after graduation? Once I graduate in December 2012, I will be working as a Hardware Engineering Associate on the Mission Systems and Sensors team for Lockheed Martin in Manassas, Virginia.

What has been your best experience outside of engineering at Penn State? While working at Pratt & Whitney, I had the opportunity to present ideas for improving their intern program to the VP of Engineering. It was so exciting to have the chance to make an impact on such a large and successful company by using the skills I acquired as a Penn State Engineer and Engineering Ambassador.