A Spirit of Innovation

Transcript

Illinois Wesleyan is a proven starting ground for innovation and entrepreneurship. College Factual ranked IWU as the best university in the Great Lakes region, and the ninth best undergraduate school in the US for entrepreneurial studies. What sets them apart is that students in any major, like Roshan in pre-engineering, can pursue their dreams to create new things supported by faculty mentors. Roshan, take it away.

– Thank you for the fantastic introduction, Alex. What’s up, guys? I first came to Illinois Wesleyan, when I was a middle school student for a science camp. I had no idea at the time that I’d end up choosing it for college. When it came time to choose a college, I was unsure of what direction to go in. Did I wanna stay close to home? Did I wanna go to a big school or a small one? What choice was the best for my career? My goal was to become an engineer, and one day, I received a call from a physics professor at Illinois Wesleyan. He told me about their 3-2 program that would be fantastic in helping me get degrees in both physics and engineering in just five years. That professor has become my mentor today. Because Wesleyan is a smaller school, I’ve gotten the opportunity to get to know my professors and have them get to know me as well as support my development. We get hands-on access to cutting edge equipment that most schools only offer to grad students. This year, I was even given my own lab to work on my project to develop new smart workout equipment. I hope to develop a prototype and apply for funding through IWU’s Titan Venture Challenge for student entrepreneurs. The Shark Tank-Style Challenge is one of the many ways in which IWU fosters innovation. Whether you study chemistry, biology, biochemistry, or math, IWU professors are always proud to see their students present their research at conferences or publish in scholarly journals, a distinctive opportunity to have as undergraduates. Not only has IWU prepared me for my career, but it’s also provided me with many great experiences that I will cherish throughout my lifetime. I’m happy to be a student at IWU, and I hope that one day you will as well. That’s all from me, Alex. Back to you.

– Great job, Roshan. It will be exciting to see what you come up with. Illinois Wesleyan envisions a bright future for student innovators with its Petrick Idea Center as a living, learning and creating community, a residential student space, combined with innovation hubs for conceptualizing new ventures. Students are given the tools, resources, and knowledge to solve the world’s problems right now, while they’re still students. Thanks again, Roshan.