Student Spotlight:
Yaneth Valencia

What makes Washington State University’s Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture stand out from the crowd for those looking to get a degree?

We ask mechanical engineering major Yaneth Valencia for her thoughts on what makes WSU such a special place.

What have you learned in your major, or experienced in your classes or your activities during your time at WSU, that will help you most in your future?

In my major I have learned that if you aren’t willing to do the work you will fall behind and that you are in charge of what grade you receive in the end. I also learned that if you do not ask for help no one will know that you need it. It really helps to ask questions, go to tutoring, and to ask your peers for help.

Why did you choose your major?

I have wanted to be an engineer since 7th grade when I was placed into a class called “Project Lead the Way”, in that class I learned about what some engineers do, and the different types of engineers and I decided that was something that I could see myself doing. Math and science have always been my strong suit, but I also enjoy using my creativity and I feel like engineering combines the two – there are many design aspects to it that require you to be creative and use your imagination.

What made you decide to attend WSU?

I chose to attend WSU because I was looking for a small-town environment and somewhere I could pursue my major at my own pace and not feel as I am in competition with my fellow students.

There are a lot of great resources here available to students and plenty of people that want us to succeed. I have benefitted by learning to be on my own and being more independent but also getting to know other great people.

I have also benefitted by being involved in some great programs like LSAMP and STARS.

What advice do you have for fellow or prospective students? What can you recommend they do to succeed in your major or at WSU?

Try and be as involved as possible, it really helps you to meet people and not feel alone. I also recommend asking for help when you need it, by going to professors’ office hours, tutoring, or asking peers. There are a lot of people that are willing to help you if you are willing to ask for it.

Work on your time management skills – for some people it gets difficult to juggle classes, homework, work, and their social life.

Make sure you take care of yourself. Being a college student can get stressful, and we sometimes forget to take a second to breathe.

What has been your favorite class, club, or program that you’ve been involved with at WSU, and why?

My favorite class so far has probably been ENGR 101, which I took as part of the STARS program. I enjoyed the class because I got to meet some other engineering majors and it really pushed me towards stepping out of my comfort zone.

We had speakers come into class and talk to us about what they do, we got to attend the Career Fair that year and talk to some employers we might be interested in working for, we had peer mentors, and we had many fun events throughout the year.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention about your experience at WSU?

With me being a first-generation Hispanic student, leaving home and coming to school seemed like something I wouldn’t be able to achieve or be able to handle but WSU has made this a great experience for me and provided me with so many great resources. I can’t wait to graduate and begin my career as a mechanical engineer.