Interview 4 International Student Brochure @ Lafayette

What attracted you to Lafayette? Was it our reputation, academics, the combination of engineering and liberal arts, the small size, the close student-faculty interaction? Please, be as specific as possible.
I've decided to apply to Lafayette because it ranked first in Engineering programs at a Liberal Arts College. I wanted to pursue an engineering degree and study at a liberal arts college in the same time, and Lafayette seemed to be the perfect combination of the two. I wanted liberal arts because of the all-rounded education you receive as a student. But I also wanted to study an engineering curriculum for the technical and transferable skill set you develop as a student in engineering. Lafayette is the perfect combination of breath and depth that I found in my search for the best match school.

How did you hear about Lafayette? Did you know someone who went here, speak with a high school guidance counselor, found us on the Internet?
I've learned about Lafayette College through a workshop at the Fulbright Educational Advising Center in Bucharest. The workshop presented a case study of a then recently accepted student at Lafayette. I remembered the name and when I got home I looked for information about Lafayette on the Internet. I also remember participating in a webchat where I met Skip Staats, an admission officer for international students, who was very approachable and answered all our questions. I then ended up meeting Skip Staats in person at a college fair in Bucharest during the Fall of that year. The personal attention and interaction with the members of the Lafayette Community was also a factor that determined me to apply.

Can you tell me a little bit about why you chose your majors and why you believe Lafayette is a good place to pursue them?
I've chosen civil engineering because it is the best combination of physics and math targeted towards solving real life problems. Economics on the other hand is the other necessary ingredient for solving real life problems. While it can have technical or theoretical feasibility, no solution is completely feasible until it makes sense economically. Because most of the problems we face today are multi-faceted, a dual degree seemed the most appropriate preparation for the challenges I will face in my career.

What are your goals for after you graduate? Do you believe Lafayette is helping you attain those goals?
My life goal is to be a leader of change in my community, my city, my country, my world. The biggest challenge I will probably face is bringing the change that people want in Romania's most important and still deficient sectors: education and infrastructure. Lafayette has inspired me to have the courage to do big things, to be the change I want to see in the world, has helped me to hone those skills that will be of greatest need after college. The things I have acquired at Lafayette that I am most grateful for are the communication skills, teamwork skills, time management, networking abilities, critical thinking and a keen interest in all of the subjects of knowledge.

Have there been any activities, faculty members, staff members, or student organizations that have really enhanced your experience here?
I don't want to point out specific names here because the list will be too long for you to read, but I can say that all the people I have met while at Lafayette have enhanced my experience in a variety of ways. From them, I've learned the norms of a new society, I've perfected my English speaking and writing skills, I've explored subjects and places I haven't even though of before Lafayette, and more importantly I've learned about myself.

Do you have any advice for new international students?
Thinking long and hard about the decision to study abroad. It is a good amount of effort just to apply and then it is a great effort to adapt to a new society and culture, to become completely independent, but it is tremendously rewarding, if they are up to the challenges of being an international student.

Finally, can you list for me any activities you are a part of here at Lafayette (research, study abroad, internships, special projects, sports, student groups or organizations)?

* Study Abroad Semester in Hong Kong - Spring 2008
* Interim Abroad Course in New Zealand - January 2009 - Envisioning Environmental Science
* Externship at Deloitte New York - January 2009
* Resident Adviser in the Reeder Fellows House
* Member of the Leadership Team of the Reeder Fellows House
* EXCEL Research
+ GA/NN
+ Nazareth WWTP
* Independent Study and Special Project - The Green Reeder House Project
* LEAP/SEES Sustainable Waste Management through Composting
* Tau Beta Pi - Engineering Honor Society - Vice President of the PA E - Lafayette Chapter
* Phi Beta Kappa - Liberal Arts Honor Society - junior year induction
* Omicron Delta Epsilon International Economics Honor Society - junior year induction
* playing tennis in the Club Tennis Team
* going to start working as a Writting Associate in the Fall
* going to start another Excel Research Project with Prof. Veshosky in the Fall.

More detailed information about all these can be found in my Curriculum Vitae: http://diana.hasegan.com/