Becca van Hoewlingen

2007-2008 Symposium Day Co-Chair 

Hey!  My name is Becca van Houwelingen and I am a senior this year (Yay!) from Traverse City.  Alex and I are Symposium Day co-chairs meaning we are planning the big event that takes place in April.  Symposium Day gives us a great opportunity to learn about what  chemical engineers can do after graduation.  It is also a great time to network, which is always a plus! 

 I chose chemical engineering as my major because of a little run-in with Alex sophomore year.  After a math class one day, he convinced me to “enlist” by telling me how he had completely missed an exam in one class (210, I think) and still ended up with a 4.0.  I thought to myself, “Wow, it can’t be that bad!  I’m pretty good about not missing exams so already I’m doing OK”…. Little did I know, Alex is a genius and I should have never compared my path with his!  So, here I am!  Thanks Alex.

This summer I had an internship with Eli Lilly and Co. making the finest pharmaceuticals this side of Indiana.  It was a great experience, and I would encourage everyone to jump on these sorts of opportunities.  The summer before my junior year I spent “studying” abroad in Thailand.  Again, the opportunities MSU has for study abroad are fantastic and life altering.  This was not only the best trip of my life; it was a great resume builder and a conversation starter at every interview I went on. 

If you have any questions about Symposium Day, Chemical Engineering, or Studying Abroad, don’t hesitate to ask!