Name: Natalya Whitla
Program: Integrated Engineering
Degree you are studying toward: Dual degree in Integrated Engineering and Ivey Business
Expected year of graduation: 2022
Institution: Western University
Email: Send Email
Fun Facts About Me
If your best friend had to describe you in 10 words or less, what would they say?: (I actually asked people for evidence of this) Loud, outgoing, committed, strong,
Share one fun fact about yourself: I still have a baby tooth.
What do you want to accomplish in the next 10 years?: First of all, I’d like to graduate. Wherever I end up after that, I’d like to be doing something where I work with people, do something that has an impact on the world’s future and be constantly learning. Of course, it is important to be happy wherever you end up, and for me that means seeking out new challenges consistently.
Profile Questions
Why did you choose your program of study?: Always being a diverse learner, I didn’t want to limit my options. Little did I know that engineering is the opposite of limits. I chose my program because I was able to take business and engineering concurrently, and Western is the only school that offers Integrated, the combination of all the specialties. With this and the project-based learning, I could maintain diversity in my learning.
Also, I’ve always been about the ‘Why’, the problem-solving and the application of what I learn. I wanted to challenge more than my memory and I’ve never been disappointed.
What has been your favourite course (in Engineering) and why?: This is a very hard question, because each course has its pros and cons based on the professors, difficulty and material. Especially being a diverse learner, I find so many different things interesting.
As I love learning, I really enjoyed Programming because having never taken any coding before, all of the subject matter was new to me, which I found very engaging.
Depending on your group, people had different opinions about this course: Design aka ‘Fundamentals of Engineering’. For me, I loved it. Having the opportunity to work on a real-world problem by applying the science you’ve learned was very rewarding for me. Especially because I consider conflict to be a gift of collaboration as we always benefit from varying perspectives to challenge the project forward.
What has been the best part of your Engineering education to date?: The people, the people and the people. As cheesy it is when people say, “Engineering is a team sport’, it is 100% accurate. Not only is there constantly support if you need help with an assignment or otherwise, but you make friends with people who have similar passions and motivations as you. They also keep you in check for maintaining a balanced life by going to the gym together or otherwise.
What do you hope to do after you graduate?: Honestly, my answer to this question changes way too often. Presently, I’d like to go into project management, potentially combining the science and the business feasibility skills to implement corporate green initiatives.