Team member spotlight
Next up is...
Jake Hastings
Q: Why did you choose engineering?
"I chose engineering not because as I was approaching the end of highschool, all I knew was that I wanted to work with people and I don't want to be stuck at a desk for my whole life. I have always been fascinated by science and math and have always loved working with a team. Engineering seems to be a beautiful mix of math, science, teamwork, and creativity."
Q: Who is someone that inspires you? Why?
"My father has always been someone that inspires me. He positively impacts everyone he meets with his charisma and genuine compassion for others. He is an expert at inspiring and leading others and can become an expert at anything he puts his mind to. I am thankful to have someone like him in my life to look up to and go to for advice, and I am especially thankful for the values and love he and my mother imbued into me throughout my life."
Q: What advice would you give your younger self looking back at your engineering career so far?
"Learn to code! As I progress through my college career as an engineering student, the importance of coding becomes more and more apparent. I have the basics down, but I wish I would have started in middle school or highschool like some computer scientists I know."
Q: Now under these extraordinary times we are living in, (Spring 2020, Covid-19 pandemic), what is something you do to reduce stress?
"I have picked up embroidery as a stress relieving activity. There is something very soothing about seeing your art come into fruition one thread at a time. Taking it easy, listening to some of my favorite albums, and getting lost in the embroidery hoop is something I wish I picked up sooner."
Q: What is some of your favorite media to consume?
"I love thrillers. I read Steven King novel after Steven King novel back in middle school and highschool and have watched all sorts of thriller and horror movies. It's fun to be on the edge of your seat while you consume thrillers and even more fun to be left thinking about them for weeks after you've finished them."
Alexander "Xander" Westra
Q: Why did you choose engineering?
"The first thing I ever wanted to be was a locomotive engineer. I loved drawing trains and boats and planes as a kid and imagining how they worked. I learned locomotives aren’t widely used anymore so I changed my mind to become an engineer that designs and creates things. It’s been an adventure ever since."
Q: Who is someone that inspires you? Why?
"Someone who inspires me is Tobin Gutermuth, a former UCSD student and former team captain of the Human Powered Submarine team. He was passionate about engineering, very hardworking, and never afraid to ask. It took me 3 years to get into engineering (a capped major) after coming to UCSD and he taught me the importance of standing my ground and not giving up."
Q: What advice would you give your younger self looking back at your engineering career so far?
"I would tell a younger me to worry less about what other people think and focus more on pursuing goals out of genuine personal interest"
Q: Now under these extraordinary times we are living in, (Spring 2020, Covid-19 pandemic), what is something you do to reduce stress?
"I’ve recently started going out on bike rides. There are a lot of cool places to explore and bike to near UCSD. It’s a refreshing change of scenery from being inside."
Q: What is some of your favorite media to consume?
"I love watching horror movies, especially the chilling ones that leave you thinking after the movie ends. I also really enjoy comedy movies. My family and I have the same sense of humor so whenever I go home we all watch and laugh together."
Lingzhi "Jackie" Zheng
Q: Why did you choose engineering?
"I loved playing legos as a kid and I dreamed about one day flying supersonic. With engineering, I've upgraded my "lego" to real world designs that can leave an impact, and I know how to make supersonic fast shock waves, which is awesome."
Q: Who is someone that inspires you? Why?
"Professor Hsue-Shen Tsien. As an international graduate student from war torn China in the 1940s, Tsien co-founded NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and became one of the first Aisan professors in Caltech. Professor Tsien seeded the aerospace dream in generations of young students. I was one of those younglings, and I still am."
Q: What advice would you give your younger self looking back at your engineering career so far?
"Don't panic. "
Q: Now under these extraordinary times we are living in, (Spring 2020, Covid-19 pandemic), what is something you do to reduce stress?
"I start to enjoy little moments of the day, such as cooking breakfast, checking my mailbox and taking out the trash, as special rituals. I found it helpful to have things to look forward to. "
Q: What is some of your favorite media to consume?
"Everything Star Wars related. I have been watching the Clone Wars series and the Mandalorian. I also play Jedi: the Fallen Order on my pc when I have time. It's an awesome game."
Benjamin J. Katko
Q: Why did you choose engineering?
"or the most part I really believe that engineering chose me and 'Im grateful it did! Before coming back to school I tried everything but engineering."
Q: Who is someone that inspires you? Why?
" All the ancestors, I don't want their efforts to be in vain. My Grandpa is also a big influencer, he made all of this possible and now it is my turn to make it possible for the next couple generations."
Q: What advice would you give your younger self looking back at your engineering career so far?
"Be more bold and face everything with courage. This includes sports, people, travel, money...we really have nothing to lose, if you think about it."
Q: Now under these extraordinary times we are living in, (Spring 2020, Covid-19 pandemic), what is something you do to reduce stress?
" I've been working out quite a lot. Actually, I am getting back into pre-academic shape which is pretty cool. I still have a lot of effort required to get back down to my target weight. I am also reading for pleasure more, it takes an extraordinary amount of energy to sit down and focus on a book."
Q: What is some of your favorite media to consume?
"I enjoy keeping up with current events and trying to really grasp the world we live in. I am reading On The Genealogy of Morality by Nietzche at the moment. I also enjoy travel shows, mainly anything Anthony Bourdain and more recently Huang's World."
Barry Lawlor
Q: Why did you choose engineering?
"Initially, I chose engineering (mechanical in particular) because I loved working with my hands, understanding mechanisms, and excelled in math and physics. It turns out to have been a lucky guess! Throughout college, I discovered that I have a natural intuition for understanding mechanics, which has made most coursework in undergrad a joy to study. To me, it's exciting to be able to study the function of different aspects of our world and then eventually apply that knowledge in practical ways through technology."
Q: Who is someone that inspires you? Why?
"My dad really has been a big inspiration for me of someone who has built a life and a living. It's been cool to grow up, absorbing both his drive for excellence and desire to care for his family and friends. Having moved to the states on his own at 18, he's a model of hard work to me. Yet amidst this hard work, he has always sought to balance his life well and to be marked by selflessness and love for others."
Q: What advice would you give your younger self looking back at your engineering career so far?
"Seek out challenges early in your career! Eventually, they'll come to you regardless. But struggling through difficult problems and projects early on provides so much more valuable experience than taking things easy on yourself: making future challenges after undergraduate that much more manageable. For sure, there are times to rest, but you have to know that it will never seem convenient to take on these extra challenges."
Q: Now under these extraordinary times we are living in, (Spring 2020, Covid-19 pandemic), what is something you do to reduce stress?
"As a Christian, the best thing for reducing stress and anxiety has been to spend time with God: praying and reading the bible! There's been much encouragement in that, as well as challenge to grow to be more like Christ during these difficult and confusing times."
Q: What is some of your favorite media to consume?
"I'm a big fan of watching TV shows after they've finished production. So I just finished watching Person of Interest, which I started back at the beginning of the school year (slowly watching here and there amidst a crazy fall quarter). Other than that, I've been watching movies every Sat. night with my apartment. We've recently watched all the John Wick movies and Extraction."
Jorge Nunez
Q: Why did you choose engineering?
"I chose engineering because this is a career that combined two of my interests: creativity, and science. Furthermore, I like the idea that engineering is somewhat like magic, as science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke said, "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.""
Q: Who is someone that inspires you? Why?
"Someone that inspires me is Elon Musk. Elon has committed himself to tackling some of the most difficult engineering challenges of our time, like developing renewable energy generation and consumption, and making humanity a multiplanetary species. His idealism and hard work ethic inspire me to do better."
Q: What advice would you give your younger self looking back at your engineering career so far?
"I would tell myself to ask professors more questions and to dare to find more mentorship and research opportunities because all it takes is just one opportunity to drastically enhance your undergraduate education."
Q: Now under these extraordinary times we are living in, (Spring 2020, Covid-19 pandemic), what is something you do to reduce stress?
"With the extra time this situation has afforded me, I’ve taken up on painting and I’ve found it to be rewarding in the sense that every stroke of the paintbrush is yours and when you look back at your painting you get feelings of pride and accomplishment."
Q: What is some of your favorite media to consume?
"Some of my favorite media to consume are fantasy and science fiction books and movies. I’m currently reading Dune by Frank Herbert and I’ve gotten in the pattern of watching post-apocalyptic movies, which feel strangely relatable in these times."
Kevin Nguyen
Q: Why did you choose engineering?
"I chose engineering because I wanted to create things. I feel like I overly romanticize what it is like to be an inventor. I wanted to create something truly wonderful with my own two hands."
Q: Who is someone that inspires you? Why?
"Without a doubt, Leonardo Da Vinci is the person who first comes to mind when you think of notable inventors. His ideas have conceptualized numerous products that are used today. I aspire to be as multi-faceted and knowledgeable in the arts, and sciences as him. In my mind, he is the personification of what it is to be an engineer."
Q: What advice would you give your younger self looking back at your engineering career so far?
"Right now, I am a structural engineer that is also taking mechanical engineering classes regarding fluids and heat transfer. If I was able to give my younger self a word of advice, it would be to really put effort in those AP classes. Those classes were the foundation for my current self, and if I had spent more time learning in my younger years, I could be open to many more options right now, whether it be education or funding."
Q: Now under these extraordinary times we are living in, (Spring 2020, Covid-19 pandemic), what is something you do to reduce stress?
"With the pandemic going on, and everyone being forced to stay at home, I’ve begun to play some games to take the time away. One of which my favorite is Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The art and music is gorgeous and the amount of work and love that went into this product is amazing. "
Q: What is some of your favorite media to consume?
"In recent years, I’ve developed an interest in chinese web novels, which are fantasy “books” that incorporate chinese culture elements, such as Coiling Dragon, and Desolate Era. Currently, I am enjoying the Sherlock TV series, compliments to my SO."
First out is
Janelle Dela Cueva
Q: Why did you choose engineering?
"I chose engineering because it seemed like the most fun way to help people. I love art and engineering is an artistic outlet to express my creativity. Engineering is an opportunity to create really cool stuff to help and create impactful change in people's lives."
Q: Who is someone that inspires you? Why?
"A person that inspires me is Vivianna Gomez (former undergraduate researcher in this group, and now a MS student here at UCSD). She continues to be a great role model by leading from example. As my mentor, she showed me that I am capable of a lot and that I should continue to pursue my education in graduate school."
Q: What advice would you give your younger self looking back at your engineering career so far?
"I advise myself to take life one step at a time. It is good to embrace every opportunity that came my way but taking a step back to slowly enjoy what I am doing is necessary."
Q: Now under these extraordinary times we are living in, (Spring 2020, Covid-19 pandemic), what is something you do to reduce stress?
"To destress, I like to go on long long runs, as far away from other people as I can. Working out has been really helpful in calming myself down during these anxious times. This has given me the time to start training for the marathon again!"
Q: What is some of your favorite media to consume?
"I love watching classic movies like Psycho (1960) and Blade Runner (1982). I also started watching the TV show Money Heist on Netflix."
Members in the spotlight
Janelle Dela CuevaJake Hastings
Benjamin J Katko
Barry Lawlor
Jorge Nunez
Kevin Nguyen
Xander Westra
Lingzhi "Jackie" Zheng