Will Yan, Mechanical Engineering Alum

Degree(s) 

BSME (2014), MSME (2016) 

Current Residence 

Richmond, Virginia

Current Employer 

KSB Inc.

What influenced your decision to attend Herff College of Engineering? 

Originally I attended a community college nearby for a different major, but by chance I ran into an old friend of mine who went to Herff College of Engineering and studied for Mechanical Engineering. Intrigued by the idea, I went to the university tour and talked to a very kind advisor at the engineering building and gave it a try, and the rest is history!

How did Herff prepare you for your career? .

Having a very supporting staff at Herff College of Engineering is definitely helpful! The support circle within the college allowed me to attend career fairs, prepare for interview, talk to engineering professionals, and even review resumes. I was able to earn the opportunity to work at multiple internship using the connections provided by the Engineering Career Services manager, and those work experience allowed me to get multiple offers after graduation and jump start my career.

What skills or knowledge did you learn throughout the program that you found most helpful in your career? 

Being in the Herff College of Engineering provided me with the right mindset and the problem solving skills to resolve and tackle issues that occurs during my daily work routine, and the communication skills to present the issues to both management within the company and customers.

Who was your most impactful professor? Why? 

.From the top of my list, Dr John I. Hochstein has been the most impactful professor, he was the one who introduced me to be the first students to participate in the Accelerated Bachelor to Master (ABM) Program in the ME major, and provided massive support during the thesis research as my advisor. I would not have been here without Dr. Hochstein. But there are many exceptional professors that helped me achieve my educational goals, just to name a few: Dr. Marchetta, Dr. Tan, Dr. Lin, Dr. Lewis, and the late Dr. Perry.

Were you involved in student groups? If so, which one(s)? 

I was fortunate enough to be part of Engineering Ambassador during my pursuit of bachelor degree and helped out many students and future students through activities and university tours. Also I was part of the TRiO program which provided me with study materials, computer access, and grants. And on top of the university programs, I was the President of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, member of Pi Tau Sigma International ME Honor Society, ASME, and AIAA.

What support(s) did you have during your time as a college student? How did you keep focused on the goal? 

I guess I am naturally a social person during my years at Herff College of Engineering and kept in touch with everyone in the Engineering staff, and everyone have been helpful on sharing their experience and kept me on track for graduating. But by having appointments with Engineering Career Services, monthly meeting with TRiO advisor, and casual conversation with Student advisor really help me through the years.

What was your greatest memory from your time at Herff? 

One of my fond memory at Herff was working on Engineering Material class group project with a fellow student, we were testing a grease pin for stress using a strain gauge, on a farm tractor! We rode the tractor all over a private parking lot and rode over bumps, curbs, and rocky roads, and presented our research data and video during class! Everyone had a good laugh!

What advice would you give those considering enrolling in Herff College of Engineering?  

As someone who have gone through the curriculum and survived, I would suggest future engineers to make friends, create memories, stay engaged, and CREATE STUDY GROUPS ON WEEKENDS. You don't have to do this alone, get together, share ideas, help each other out, and explain how you could solve the homework questions, by explaining to others, it makes you better at understand the material and also helps others. Last but not least, participate in college activities, and connect with staff members!

What do you know now that you wish you had known during your time at Herff? 

I wish I could participate in more student organizations and take advantage of the learning experience as junior engineer, because you can learn so much about how to be a effective engineer in the future by working together.

Was your Herff experience worth the price? If you could do it over again, what would you do differently? 

It was definitely worth the price, considering with the scholarship and financial aids covered most of my tuition, and likely the best 6 years I have spend on getting my degrees at Herff. If I could do it over again, I would love to do a double major in MBA as well.