Category: Staff Spotlight

Julio Rodriguez is a third year junior at Clemson, majoring in electrical engineering.  He was born in Washington but grew up in South Carolina and is from Easley, SC.  Julio is a first generation student, meaning he is the first in his family to attend a college or university.  He is very active in student life and is the current president of Clemson Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.  In his free time, he enjoys playing and watching soccer.  His favorite memory at Clemson so far has been attending the SHPE National Convention in Orlando in the fall of 2021.  Julio got involved with PEER&WISE through PWE the summer before his freshman year.  He met many people and made friends that he is still close with today.  He also serves as a PEER mentor and a PEER math plus tutor for middle school students.  After finishing college, he hopes to work in designing integrated circuits.  He would also like to facilitate in resourcing and improving public schools in the United States and he would like to travel the world. Julio chose to major in electrical engineering due to its innovative field that is always improving.  His career has disciplined him to learn new things daily and it has humbled him to always strive to be better than he was the day before.  Julio says the most important thing he has learned is that hard work will always beat talent, especially in engineering.  Despite the stress school causes, he is thankful and has enjoyed every second at Clemson.  The diversity across campus has opened his eyes to how different but still similar everyone is.  His advice to others is, ” You dictate your own path to success, so either step up or get stepped on.”

Caroline Peak is a junior Bioengineering major with a concentration in Biomaterials from Aiken, South Carolina. She was born in Pennsylvania and was raised all over the East Coast, and in her free time, loves to play random intramural sports with friends and spend time with a book. She first got into contact with PEER & WISE the summer of her sophomore year and was offered an internship position for her junior fall. Caroline currently manages the PEER & WISE social media pages, and you can find her at the main desks in both the Office and Annex. Her college journey began with the EUREKA! summer research experience for rising Honors College Freshmen, and ever since, she has fallen in love with research. She has been working in a Bioengineering research lab ever since her freshman year, working on a novel culture chamber that subjects engineered heart-like tissue to physiologic conditions mimicking heart tissue outside the human body for therapeutic use. After she graduates from Clemson, Caroline plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at a research-intensive university. Caroline’s advice for others is to actively search out ways to be involved on campus. She says if she did not go out of her comfort zone to pursue opportunities, she would not be where she is today.

Skyler Holland is a sophomore electrical engineering major from Hampton, South Carolina.  She was born and raised in the Lowcountry and in her free time, she enjoys playing softball or tennis and going to the beach every chance she gets.  Skyler is currently in her second year at Clemson majoring in electrical engineering with a minor in biological sciences.  She hopes to work in medical research after graduating and to help people with the advancement of medicine.  Her story with PEER & WISE began in middle school when she attended Project WISE for two summers.  There, her love for electrical engineering was sparked.  She fell in love with every aspect of it and it made her curiosity grow.  After completing Project WISE, she then took several engineering courses through high school, learning the basics of SolidWorks, building circuits on breadboards, and coding.   Once getting accepted into Clemson, she was in contact with Beth Anne Johnson about becoming more involved with Project WISE.  Over her freshman year, she stayed in contact with Beth Anne and Mrs.  Serita Acker and was involved in virtual Project WISE.  The summer before her sophomore year, she applied for a work study position in the PEER & WISE office and since then it has turned into an internship.  She cherishes this internship and is so thankful for all of the great people and opportunities it has brought into her life.  Her advice for others is to never be afraid of being curious.  For her, electrical engineering sparks her curiosity and makes her want to know more.  Knowledge is ever-growing and being curious is how many inventions and innovations have been made.

Preston Pettway is a sophomore industrial engineering major from Anderson, South Carolina.  He graduated T.L. High School as a two sport athlete, playing both football and basketball.  During his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, video games, and hanging out with his friends.  His older brother and father both attended Clemson University and his brother, Kendal Pettway, was also involved in PEER&WISE.  Preston participated in the PEER&WISE summer program and is also a PEER mentor presently.  His future goals are just to make a difference and be a role model for the younger generations of his family.  He wants to make the best of every opportunity presented to him and one day work a job which he loves and enjoys doing.  His advice for others is “life goes on, you may be caught in a moment but life is still going to move whether you want it to or not.”

Please know that our doors are always open in 158 Freeman Hall. Students are first! If you need someone to cheer you up, calm you down, listen to you, talk to you, encourage you, or even if you need someone to brag about the “A” you made in Chemistry, come see us.

We appreciate your feedback concerning the PEER and WISE programs.

Have a Wonderful Semester!

Dear Students of the PEER & WISE Community,

Dear Students of the PEER & WISE Community,

Beth Anne Johnson serves as the Associate Director for the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Program in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences at Clemson University. Since the program’s establishment in 1995, the WISE program has helped thousands of women successfully gain employment in male dominated industries. This award-winning program pairs first year, female-identifying students with female upperclassman to guide the
young women in their college experience. While teaching essential skills alongside academics, Beth Anne helps educate and prepare women to pursue and secure successful careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) fields through outreach, recruitment, and college support.

As a social scientist and researcher, Beth Anne explores female identity and leisure. Currently, she is investigating female leisure spaces in male dominated sports. She finds that her research interests better prepare her to coach young women in crafting their understanding of self, their worth and their relation to the world.

Currently, Beth Anne serves as the President Elect of WEPAN and will begin serving as president
for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Alongside the executive leadership team, she is honored to serve
the WEPAN community. She is looking forward to building a strategic plan and stewardship
strategies that exhibit and oversee the continuation of growth WEPAN has experienced over
the last 30 years.

When Beth Anne is not at work, she is adventuring with her family or in her garden growing
delicious foods and flowers.

What her co-workers have to say about her:

“She works hard to make sure we all sparkle and shine, and it is so encouraging. She is an awesome leader for her WISE girls and we’re lucky to have her on our team!” -Maegan Hinson

“Beth Anne is a ray of sunshine. She always has a positive word/perspective to share with our team and students. She is fun and creative and very innovative. She loves our CU students, and her passion shows. We enjoy having her on our team.” -Serita Acker

“Beth Anne, is new to our team but is truly a gem and asset. I thank her for always sharing her insight and knowledge with us and the students. And always showing Grace, my friend.” -Lisa Jackson