Hannah Steketee

Hours available for mentoring per month: ~10

Degree(s): Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Leadership Studies and a certificate in Engineering Management

Professional background, interests and expertise: While in school, I was fortunate to explore a few engineering industries through co-ops and internships. I was a co-op at Ball Corporation where I worked on aerosol cans. I also worked in the contract design and manufacturing industry while interning for Plexus. Both these experiences were really valuable and helped me find the industry I was most passionate about, medical. After graduating I joined Terumo BCT, a medical device company in Lakewood, where I've been able to explore different engineering roles and find what I like best. I am currently a systems engineer and love how interdisciplinary, hands on and human focused my work is.

Outside of work, I spend most weekends in the winter teaching skiing for the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park and back country skiing with my boyfriend. In the summer, I enjoy backpacking and hiking. I also love to travel and cook.

Best professional advice: College is the perfect time to gain a wide variety of experiences. These can include internships, working for on campus labs and student clubs. Even if the experience didn't live up to your expectations, they can be help you focus in on what you really want from your career. This isn't to say that you shouldn't be selective. I fully believe in using your values to guide your career decisions. I have found that being in organization that aligns with your values is critical to having a satisfying career.