Month: November 2022

N’Kya McClurkin is a junior computer science major at Clemson.  She also serves as a current PEER mentor working with our freshmen engineers helping them to adjust to life at college.  She chose to attend Clemson due to the atmosphere and family vibes that Clemson is very known for.  She selected her major because of her interest in software development and her passion for creativity.  Her PEER mentor from her freshman year played a strong role in her involvement with PEER&WISE today.  They suggested N’Kya become a mentor for other students in her major so she can help them the way her mentor helped her.  Once she finishes college, she would like to pursue a career in software development or cyber security.

The PEER&WISE family is so proud of you, N’Kya!

Pranavi Thatavarthi is a sophomore chemical engineering major with a biomolecular concentration who serves as a current WISE mentor.   She chose Clemson due to its extraordinary engineering program and the sense of belonging she felt when she toured Clemson’s campus.  Pranavi plans to work in the pharmaceutical industry focusing on drug design and manufacturing processes.  However, she is very interested in learning about all the different career possibilities she will have in Chemical Engineering.  She would like to also possibly obtain a graduate degree in Chemical Engineering or Pharmacology one day.  Pranavi’s involvement with PEER&WISE began when she attended our PWE program before beginning her freshman year here.  PWE allowed her to gain important communication and study skills that have helped her throughout her college career.  Currently serving as a WISE mentor, she is helping the next generation of female engineers as they adjust to being college students at Clemson.  She also represents the WISE program on the CECAS Student Advisory Board and has been allowed to expand her leadership and professional skills.  This opportunity has also opened a new STEM networking door for her, allowing her access to multiple other CECAS students and STEM professionals.  While at Clemson, Pranavi has also participated in the Society for Women Engineers (SWE), the Indian Cultural Association, and the Pre-Pharmacy Club.  Along with that, she was allowed to work with Dr. Delphine Dean in the Reddi Lab as an undergraduate lab technician where she transported COVID test samples, facilitated COVID testing for the athletic department, and worked with graduate staff in operating machines used to detect the COVID-19 Virus.

We cannot wait to see what the future has in store for you, Pranavi!  We are so proud of you!

Jonathan is a familiar face to many in the PEER&WISE family!  Jonathan is a mechanical engineering graduate student who also completed his undergrad at Clemson.  Jonathan chose Clemson due to its high-ranking engineering program and his involvement with Clemson’s Emerging Scholars program in high school.  His older sister also attended Clemson before him and greatly influenced his life.  Mr.  Figueroa plans to pursue a career in the Automotive Industry as a design engineer and hopes to one day move to Austin, Texas.  During his undergraduate years, Jonathan was a student assistant in PEER&WISE, working the front desk in the office and annex.  Since beginning graduate school, he has worked for the Mechanical Engineering Department as a graduate assistant grader.  He has also been a TA for the PEER&WISE program and worked as a tutor and graduate assistant.  Jonathan enjoys being involved and helping shape our future engineers and has been involved with many aspects of many organizations.  He has served as a CONNECTIONS mentor, was a found executive board member for Brother2Brother (PR Co-Chair), and is a member of Order of Omega, which is a Fraternity and Sorority Life Honor Society.  He is also a member of the W.E.B DuBois Honor Society, a Peer Dialogue Facilitator for Clemson University Dialogues, Vice Basileus and Assistant Keeper of Finance for the Chi Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Secretary and Vice President at Clemson University and has been sponsored to attend Cambiando Vidas service trip in the Dominican Republic by Clemson FSL.  He has also been on both the President’s List and Dean’s List for multiple semesters.

We appreciate you and are so proud of you, Jonathan

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Skyler Holland is a junior electrical engineering major from the small town of Hampton in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.  She has been a part of PEER&WISE for several years in many different ways.  Her journey began in middle school when she attended Project WISE’s week-long STEM camp.  This is where she fell in love with engineering and knew that she would one day attend Clemson University to major in electrical engineering.  Skyler participated as a camper at Project WISE for two summers.  Since coming to Clemson, Skyler has become a vital part of the PEER&WISE family.  She works as an intern student assistant in the office and performs various tasks daily.  Skyler is the editor of the weekly PEER&WISE newsletter and coordinates with many other staff and organizations to ensure that we share as many opportunities with our students as possible.  Since joining the team, Skyler’s responsibilities have grown, along with her love for the program.  She can be credited with making many of the flyers that can be seen around the office and has also tabled a few events for PEER&WISE and GE’s Next Engineers program.  She is also currently helping to update the test bank to keep things as up-to-date as possible for her fellow students.  This past summer, she also was a counselor for Project WISE and got to spend a week sharing her love and passion for engineering with the younger generation of women.  When she is not in the PEER&WISE office, Skyler is also an IT Technician for CECAS CORE and a Clemson Club Tennis team member.  After college, she plans to combine her minor in biological sciences with her electrical engineering major to work in the field of medical research.  She primarily is interested in the advancement of prosthetics and artificial organs but overall, she just wants to help people with the advancement of medicine and medical technology.