One of the biggest reasons I was drawn to Viterbi was the emphasis on Engineering+. It’s not just about mastering our engineering disciplines but also about nurturing interests beyond the technical world. Whether it’s combining engineering with music, cinematography, journalism, or art, Viterbi encourages us to explore our passions in diverse ways. For me, it’s Engineering + life sciences.
In high school, I took a leap out of my comfort zone and joined my school’s Science Olympiad team, where I chose to compete in the Life Sciences category. My events included exams on Anatomy and Physiology, Disease Detectives, and Green Generation. These events pushed me to dive deep into biological concepts that weren’t part of my typical coursework, but I found myself captivated by the intricate details of biological processes. The challenge of memorizing hundreds of terms for each event, and understanding the science behind them, sparked a deep interest in life sciences. That passion only grew when I took AP Psychology and discovered even more about how the human body and mind work.
When I started my first year at USC, I was nervous that my engineering schedule would completely overshadow my desire to explore the life sciences. Thankfully, because of the credits I transferred with, most of my remaining General Education (GE) requirements focused on life and social sciences. It’s easy to see GEs as distractions from a major, but for me, they’ve been a way to revisit and build on what I loved in high school. They’ve enhanced my learning in ways I didn’t expect, adding depth to my engineering studies by connecting them to real-world applications in biology and psychology.
Now, in my second year, one of my favorite classes that I’m currently taking is BISC 104: How the Body Works. This course takes the massive subject of Anatomy and Physiology and presents it in a way that’s both manageable and engaging. It feels like a continuation of what first sparked my interest in life sciences, while also serving as a nice breath of fresh air when compared to my engineering classes.
As I move forward in my journey at USC, I’m excited to see how I can continue blending my love for life sciences with my engineering studies. Whether it’s through research, projects, or future courses, I’m excited that Viterbi gives me the ability to continue pursuing Engineering + life sciences, ultimately giving me an outlet to further explore my “guilty pleasure” subject.
