Major:

Undecided

Ellen Chisa is what many people might call a “Renaissance engineer”—someone who, though their major is engineering, also excels in many other, totally unrelated fields. In high school, she graduated as Salutatorian of her class with an International Baccalaureate Diploma, having taken eight IB classes simultaneously. Interested in robotics, she was a member of her school's FIRST team, which won the national championship in 2003 and was a finalist in 2004. As if all of this weren't enough, she was also an active member of her school's orchestra, French Honor Society, National Honor Society, Book Club, Economics Challenge team, and many other clubs.

Wanting to continue her litany of interests at a school where she'd be known for who she is and not just for her list of accomplishments, and also wanting to make an impact on her school somehow, Ellen quickly knew Olin was the school for her. “I came to Olin because of the atmosphere. It's a place where every individual has a huge impact on the culture. I had the choice between being one of many undergraduate students, and being Ellen… I'm at Olin because of Olin—not because it's an engineering school. In fact, for a long time, before I found Olin, I adamantly insisted I wasn't going to be an engineer, or go to engineering school. Olin is so revolutionary that it completely challenges all conventional notions of engineering for me.”

Since arriving, she's been pleased with the focus on the process of learning. Through Olin's do-learn method, Ellen has already acquired real experience instead of memorizing lists of formulas. She's also filled her quota for extracurricular activities, joining CORe (Olin's student government), Habitat for Humanity, French Club, Olin Fire Fighting Robotics, several school committees, and more. Certainly no one can argue that she's not leaving her mark.

Going forward, Ellen is considering several options including graduate school, medical school, or going into business. At some point, she plans to own her own business. She also has high expectations for Olin, hoping it will always be a “risky” school that is constantly innovating and staying on the cutting edge academically. She hopes to be a part of that philosophy through her actions here and impact on the world.