The Interview

 

Janice: What led you to your current major?

Hailee: Ever since I was young, I loved playing with legos and doing puzzles. My favorite subject in school was always math. Around the age of 10 I went on my first "big kid" roller coaster and was fascinated by the way they work. 

In eighth grade, we were in small groups where we designed and built our own wooden bridge, and then competed against each other to see whose bridge could hold the most weight. My team won the competition and my technology teacher saw how much I loved this project and recommended I pursue architecture or engineering as a career. As I progressed through advanced math and physics courses in high school, I realized engineering was right for me. I chose mechanical specifically because the industries that interested me most, aerospace, automotive, and ride design, hire mechanical engineers.

 

What is a fun fact about yourself?

I own 43 Taylor Swift CDs, 5 of which are autographed.

 

What do your responsibilities as the ASME President look like, and how did you come across this opportunity?

I came across the opportunity to run for ASME executive board in spring of my freshman year. I was actively involved in the club all year and was really passionate about what the club could grow to be. I began my involvement on the board with a short stint as Vice President before becoming President in January of 2023. I have been President since then throughout my junior and senior years as well. I have many responsibilities as President of the organization, including organizing executive board and general body meetings, making agendas for and facilitating monthly meetings with our CEAS advisor, and distributing tasks amongst the board. I have overseen the growth of the club from 30 to 100+ active members, introduced various design projects and competitions, and coordinated several social events for students and faculty.

 

As a WISE mentor, what do you enjoy about this role and in what ways has it helped you?

Being a WISE mentor is extraordinarily meaningful to me. I have served as a mentor since sophomore year and it has been one of the most valuable experiences. My WISE mentor made a huge impact on me and I wanted to be that person for other students. I remember how scary it was coming into freshman year and my mentoring group immediately became my second family, and I can't imagine going through freshman year without them. I consider myself lucky to have been able to help foster this type of community for incoming students each year. Being a mentor has helped me develop my leadership and communication skills, and connected me with so many incredible women. Because of WISE, I have amazing friendships spanning across several years, from freshmen to PhD students.

 

What is your involvement like at Pi Tau Sigma and Tau Beta Pi and how did you get involved?

I was inducted into Pi Tau Sigma and Tau Beta Pi honor societies by being at the top of my junior year class. I attend meetings and events hosted by these organizations each semester. Their national affiliations provide a surplus of resources and connections, which is so valuable to have as an undergraduate student.

 

How did you come across the opportunity to be an intern at North Atlantic Industries? What does your role as an intern look like?

I met representatives from North Atlantic Industries several times over the course of my undergraduate career at various Stony Brook job fairs and campus events. I connected with HR managers and engineers from the company on LinkedIn to be up to date on their job openings and learn more about the company. I applied for the Mechanical Engineering Intern position in the Fall, and while I was waiting to hear back I attended an AI information session at SBU hosted by NAI and some student clubs. I spoke to one of the engineers and he recognized me from previous events and messaging him on LinkedIn. He let me know that the role I applied to was likely going to be filled internally, but informed me of the Mechanical Engineering Automation Intern posting. I would've never even known to apply to this position had I not had this connection. As a Mechanical Engineering Automation Intern at NAI, I design and assemble test automation setups that are used to test NAI's products before they are sent to customers. It has been a valuable experience, giving me the opportunity to work on my CAD, product lifecycle management, and assembly skills.

 

Can you describe and give me more details about your Senior Design Research in the Advanced Combustion and Energy Systems Lab? What is it like? 

Throughout the year, we designed and developed

 critical support subsystems for a single cylinder, optically-accessible engine. This means that the piston of the engine is visible so researchers can see the combustion taking place. In order to spin the engine, it requires cooling and lubrication to prevent damage to any parts of the engine. Therefore, we developed a cooling and oiling system for the engine. Additionally, we developed a data acquisition system for the researchers to be able to track the position of the crankshaft and determine the firing timing. 

 

Are there any resources from CEAS or Stony Brook that you’ve found useful when it comes to your involvement and research?

The Career Center and the Job Fairs at SBU have been extremely valuable resources. I got both my undergraduate internships by connecting with career coaches and attending the career fairs. Additionally, I have an amazing support network of advisors and peers from CEAS and WISE that have helped me along the way as I’ve served as ASME President and a WISE mentor while also working and taking classes.

 

Now that you are graduating, what are your plans? How do you think any of your involvement on campus has shaped your goals?

I am continuing as an intern at North Atlantic Industries through August, and then hope to continue there or another aerospace/defense company full time. I am so grateful that my involvement at SBU helped me find my first internship at Innoveering LLC, a subsidiary of GE Aerospace, and then my second at North Atlantic Industries, two reputable companies in the industry. I got to have great hands-on experience and confirm that this was in fact the industry I’d like to stay in after graduation.

 

Do you have any advice for those who are also looking to get involved in these kinds of experiences?

Get out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there! It was intimidating as a freshman to run for an executive board position and apply to be a WISE mentor, but I went for it even if I wasn’t sure I could get these positions. I am so grateful I did because getting to have three years in these roles has been such a special experience and they have shaped me into who I am. However, I of course also got many rejections along the way. Don’t be afraid to hear no and just keep talking to people, making connections, and going after what you want!

 

What do you think was the most important part of your experiences here on campus and what helped you make the most of them?

It sounds cheesy, but the quote “in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take” is so true. I always kept this quote in mind throughout my time here, to remind myself that I would regret it if I didn’t take full advantage of all the opportunities that are out there at SBU. Sometimes it meant I would put just a little too much on my plate… but I don’t regret one second of it because I learned and grew so much along the way. If I was too afraid to run for ASME board, or apply to be a mentor, or cold message engineers on LinkedIn, I would have missed out on so many experiences, and those would have been regrets. You’ll never regret giving your all to get something you want — you’ll always wonder what could have been if you don’t even try.