My name is Lauren Bradley and I’m a senior Mechanical Engineering student with a concentration in Design and Manufacturing. I attended Vinal Technical High School in Middletown, CT and was the valedictorian of my graduating class in 2010 from the Computer-Aided Drafting and Design program. At UConn I am a sister Phi Sigma Rho, a national social sorority for women in engineering. Our organization is involved in numerous events all over campus including Relay for Life, Adopt a Highway, and Get Set, a program aimed at getting middle school girls excited about engineering through hands-on activities. This year I was also one of 28 members of the 2014 HuskyTHON Management Team that plans an on campus 18-hour dance marathon benefiting Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and raised over $457,000. In addition, I participated in the BRIDGE program prior to my freshman year of college, which really helped to adjust from high school to the college workload. Through connections from my high school I obtained an internship at Whelen Engineering in Cheser, CT, a company specializing in emergency lighting and sirens. The experience that I gained in my high school drafting program in SolidWorks was invaluable, and eventually led to a full-time job offer after my graduation this May.