General Education Reflection

While attaining my degree in Computer Engineering, I was able to explore my interests

outside of my major. I went beyond engineering courses to diversify my education and get a

broader perspective. I was able to immerse myself with people of different backgrounds.

General education electives helped establish my views as an engineer and my outlook on the

world. I was able to grow my confidence and communication skills, which will make me a better

engineer.

Leadership is a very important skill for an engineer to have. Being a woman in a heavily

male dominated field, I wanted to make sure I would be going into industry with the skills

needed to lead and make sure my voice is heard. Leadership Studies 291B allowed me to

practice leadership in a safe and encouraging environment. All of the students in the class were

women in STEM. I formed many friendships and connections with women going through the

same struggles. The class was a great learning experience to prepare me for life after

graduation. I will now be able to go to industry ready to be a leader in my field.

I wanted to take a class that was totally different from what I would normally take. I

decided to push myself out of my comfort zone and take apparel merchandising and design

165. I learned about different trends and appearance preferences for marginalized identities and

communities throughout the class. Going into the class, I was not very knowledgeable about

fashion trends. I was surprised to find out that they can have such an impact. I learned about

our unconscious bias and strategies to fight it. The class broadened my perspective of other

cultures and identities. It showed me the significant impact of fashion on society.

In order to broaden my perspective on a global scale, I opted to take the course Russia

375. The course was about economic, political, social, and cultural topics regarding modern-day

Russia. It was interesting to learn about the history of Russia and its cultural differences. During

the course, I was able to research covid 19 in Russia. I found it fascinating to compare how
Russia and the United States handled the virus. I was able to expand my knowledge and

outlook on the world.

In high school, I enjoyed the economics classes I was in. I wanted to see what

economics was like in college, so I took economics 301. I enjoy the combination of math and

business economics provides. I learned the theory of supply and demand for factors of

production and firm behavior. The course broadened my perspective on the economy. I am now

much more aware of how the market works. The skills I attained in the class will help me

navigate life after graduation.

The general education courses I took throughout my time at Iowa State taught me

diverse skills that will help me succeed after graduation. The classes made me a much more

well rounded engineer. I look forward to applying the skills I learned in my general education

electives to my future career and life after graduation.