Martin_Heather_6421wDecember 4, 2015

As her final days at ASU approach, Heather Martin will be graduating this semester not only having completed all her requirements as a Fulton Engineering student, but also as a Grand Challenge Scholar.

Martin overhead a group of her male friends talking one day in her high school Chemistry lab about applying to the Grand Challenge Scholars Program and was instantly intrigued. Identifying as a feminist and supportive of the Women in STEM movement, she “found the program online and applied without ever actually being invited.” Though engineering has been known to be male-dominated, the industry is constantly changing and more women than ever are becoming engineers. As Martin puts it, “I figured anything they could do, I could do better.”

Throughout her time in the program, Martin recalls that the toughest part was staying on top of all her tasks and classes. However, she appreciates the way she was pushed to branch out of her comfort zone by her involvement in GCSP. “I like how it gave me a focus and allowed me to explore something deeper outside of my core classwork,” she shares.

Now, after completing all her requirements, Heather Martin is graduating early and plans to attend Georgetown Law in the Fall 2016 semester. In regards to her time in GCSP, Martin shares that her biggest takeaway is learning how essential it is to approach engineering-related problems with an interdisciplinary perspective. She plans on taking this broader perspective to her future schooling and career.

For current or future Grand Challenge Scholars, Martin encourages students to remain determined and stick with it. “It’s such a rewarding program…and will really make you attractive to companies when you start looking for jobs and internships.”