ECE Ambassadors

Sophie Atkisson

Academic: Major: General Computer Engineering; Minor: Green Engineering; Graduation: Spring 2027

Hometown: Alexandria, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: Archimedes Society, SolarCar, (SASE) Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, Honors College, previous Galipatia Upper-Class Leader

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experiences: STEM Instructor Intern at Lavner Education (Summer 2024); Parsons Corporation Intern (Summer 2025)

Favorite Thing About VT: Community events-- I love seeing so many events pop up on the drillfield when the weather is nice! Also the food is great :)

Advice for Prospective Students: Get to know your classmates-- having some friends in your major to study with will help you all succeed and makes classes more enjoyable. And go to office hours!

Myriam Bajani

Academic: B.S. Computer Engineering; Major: Chip-Scale Integration; Minor: Mathematics; Graduation: Spring 2027

Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon

Professional/Student Organizations: Society of Women Engineers; Math Tutor at Student-Athlete Academic Support Services; Math Grader for the Department of Mathematics; Snow Club; Lebanese Club

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Semiconductor Chip Fabrication & Nano-Characterization Certification through the Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology (VAST); Software Development Intern at ITG Holding, Beirut, Lebanon

Favorite Thing About VT: School spirit at football games and all around campus; All the hands-on lab opportunities; Chick-fil-A :)

Advice for Prospective Students: Get involved!! Go to Gobblerfest in the fall to find clubs that interest you and talk to people. Academically, use your resources! Go to office hours, ask questions, attend exam review sessions, and email professors about research or TA opportunities if you’re interested. Everyone wants to help, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!

Pushkar Betsur

Academic: Computer Engineering, Spring 2027

Hometown: Lisle, IL

Professional/Student Organizations: CEED, VT Baking Club, IEEE

Projects/Community Service: Volunteering @ Hahn Horticultural Garden

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Embedded Software Engineer Intern @ Philips

Favorite Thing About VT: I love all the diverse flowers and abundance of plants and trees around campus.

Advice for Prospective Students: Continuously push yourselves to try things you aren't ready for. Don't be afraid of failing and try as many new things as you can!

Marina Yamamoto Borges

Academic: Major: Machine Learning/Software Systems (not decided), Secondary focus in Chip-Scale Integration; Minors in Economics and Math

Hometown: Sao Paulo, SP - Brasil

Professional/Student Organizations: Peer Mentor at CEED, Undergraduate Researcher in the Nuclear Material and Fuel Cycle lab in VT

Projects/Community Service: Was a part of a scout group for 7 years, participated in the Big Event

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experiences: Current work as a Undergraduate Researcher, last summer worked in a tech start-up programming AI, and this summer will work as a coding assistant for BTG, an investment bank.

Favorite Thing About VT: Definitely the campus and the people. I love living in a small city and the feeling of comunity here is insane to me.

Advice for Prospective Students: Do not put too much pressure on yourself, take your time figuring out everything and definitely enjoy every moment. You can worry about the future while still being happy in the present.

Isla Carlson

Academic: Double major in Electrical Engineering (B.S.) and Physics (B.A.) with a focus in Energy and Power Electronics. I am on track to graduate in Fall 2027.

Hometown: Arlington, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: Marching Virginians, Sigma Pi Sigma (Physics Honors Society), Society of Physics Students

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Research Assistant at the Center for Power Electronics (CPES)

Favorite Thing About VT: Watching the Hokies win football games in Lane Stadium

Advice for Prospective Students: Become friends with your classmates! Your classmates can be a great support system for you during the semester.

Zach Carpenter

Academic: Energy and Power Electronic Systems, 2027

Hometown: Lynchburg, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: The Marching Virginians, VT Triathlon Club

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Electrical Engineer Intern at Framatome

Favorite Thing About VT: Free grilled cheese at the library for finals and McComas Gym when it's empty

Advice for Prospective Students: If you're brand new to ECE, don't be discouraged! I had zero experience with electrical engineering before coming to VT and now have the confidence that I can keep up with my peers. Also, if something really interests you, talk to your professors or TA's, they're often excited to help you or point you toward research and project opportunities. Getting engaged with clubs and organizations that make you happy is super important as well, as they give you a sense of purpose and let you express your passions outside of academics.

Rachel Dean 

Academic: Major- Electrical Engineering - Energy & Power Electronics, Minor- Green Engineering, Grauation year-2028

Hometown: Erie, Pennsylvania

Professional/Student Organizations: Wind Turbine Design Team

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Wabtec Corporation- 2025, Off-Highway Vehicle System Controls Intern; 2026, Locomotive Engine Controls Intern

Favorite Thing About VT: My favorite things about VT are the people and the academic opportunities.

Advice for Prospective Students: Get involved and say yes to every opportunity!

Peter Mangan

Academic: General Electrical Engineering - 2026

Hometown: Damascus, MD

Professional/Student Organizations: Young Life, BYX

Favorite Thing About VT: The friends I've met and the great professors.

Advice for Prospective Students: Just ask if you need or want something. Whether it be a misunderstanding in class, or you're looking for a research opportunity, it's easier than you think to get things worked out.

Savannah Exley

Academic: Major- Electrical Engineering - Energy & Power Electronics, Minor- Green Engineering, Grauation year-2028

Hometown: Erie, Pennsylvania

Professional/Student Organizations: Wind Turbine Design Team

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Wabtec Corporation- 2025, Off-Highway Vehicle System Controls Intern; 2026, Locomotive Engine Controls Intern

Favorite Thing About VT: My favorite things about VT are the people and the academic opportunities.

Advice for Prospective Students: Get involved and say yes to every opportunity!

Katie Martin

Academic: Major: Photonics - 2025

Professional/Student Organizations: SolarCar student design team, Female Engineering Recruitment Leadership team (FERL), IEEE@VT

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Optical fiber engineering internship with Corning

Favorite Thing About VT: All of the research and hands-on opportunities for engineering majors! Also, Hahn Garden is amazing :)

Advice for Prospective Students: Get involved! There's a lot to do here. Also, don't be afraid to talk to new people!

Jonathan Meeker

Academic: Major: Electrical Engineering; Minor: Economics - 2027

Hometown: Haymarket, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: Younglife

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Summer 2024 Engineering Intern at M.C Dean, Summer 2025 Research Assistant for Brain Computer Interface applications

Favorite Thing About VT: Love the community and the way the classes push you

Advice for Prospective Students: Set up your weekly schedule and tackle each assignment with plenty of time to spare. Go to office hours whenever you can!

Daniel Murray

Academic: B.S. Computer Engineering | Major: Controls, Robotics, & Autonomy | Minor(s): Mathematics and Computer Science - 2027 

Hometown: Odenton, MD

Professional/Student Organizations: RTX Workforce Development Program, Virginia Tech Club Running

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Raytheon Software Infrastructure Internship - Summer 2025

Favorite Thing About VT: I love how much school spirit and pride Hokies have. Not only is this much school spirit rare for a school as academically rigorous as Virginia Tech, but it also allows for great career opportunities and networking for students looking to find themselves in their desired career field.

Advice for Prospective Students: Take advantage of all the opportunities available! Virginia Tech allows people with all sorts of interests to pursue them via classes, research, design teams, clubs, etc. There are tons of majors and minors to explore. I came into Virginia Tech looking to do Computer Science, but after taking the time to look at the available majors and their coursework using Virginia Tech's checksheets, I thought that Computer Engineering could open doors to pursue topics I found interesting that wouldn't have been covered by a Computer Science curriculum.

Charlotte Pei

Academic: Major: Computer Engineering, Minor: Economics, Year of graduation: December 2027

Hometown: Sterling, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: Wind Turbine Design Team (Power Systems & Controls), ECE Ambassadors, Women in Electrical and Computer Engineering (WECE), Honors College

Projects/Community Service: Integrated Design Project (IDP) Home Audio System, Math Tutor

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Systems Engineering Intern at Arcfield, Research Assistant at the Hume Center

Favorite Thing About VT: The beautiful campus and amazing people! VT has such a positive energy—friendly students, strong school spirit, and so many ways to get involved.

Advice for Prospective Students: Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Office hours, study groups, and your classmates can make hard classes feel manageable, and most people want you to succeed.

Diego Penadillo

Academic: Energy and Power Electronics Systems & Mathematics - 2027

Hometown: Ashburn, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: The Marching Virginians, Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Field Electrical Intern at Hanley Energy Electrical - 2024, Planning Engineering Intern at NOVEC - 2025, Underground Transmission Engineering Intern at Dominion Energy - 2026

Favorite Thing About VT: Everyone I've met during my time here.

Advice for Prospective Students: Remember to slow down and think back on all the great things you've accomplished so far. Looking ahead at what's coming or what you're currently facing can be 

Hannah Petersen

Academic: Energy and Power Electronic Systems (Dec 2026)

Hometown: Vienna, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: The Consulting Group at Virginia Tech (CGVT), IC CAE Scholars, COE Dean's Team Ambassadors, ECE Ambassadors, and Residential Wellbeing Student Leaders

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: TSG Intern at Procter & Gamble (Summer 2024, 2025), IDEA Labs Intern at Procter & Gamble (Summer 2026), LPS Quantum Computing Program, E2E Sustainable Aviation Fuels Undergraduate Research Team, FURF Undergraduate Research Fellows, PEC Resilient Renewable Energy Grid Adaptation Laboratory, NEEC Antenna Team

Favorite Thing About VT: The way the program has challenged me to rethink what I’m capable of - each day I realize I can do more than I thought possible, and my sense of my own capabilities keeps expanding.

Advice for Prospective Students: Every day, try to say yes as much as you can - whether it’s joining a new club, going to an event, or meeting new people. Some of the best experiences and opportunities at VT come from the things you didn’t initially plan to do.

Aubtin Rasouli

Academic: Computer Engineering - 2027

Hometown: Ashburn, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: ECE Ambassadors, Pickleball Club, Intramural Sports

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: UVM Project/Research with Professor at Virginia Tech

Favorite Thing About VT: The endless amount of both professional and personal opportunities. Virginia Tech creates an environment where students can grow professionally while still pursuing all their hobbies and interests.

Advice for Prospective Students: Get involved! Try to do things outside of your comfort zone, especially if you're new to Virginia Tech. The people here are amazing, and you'll quickly find what's best for you. There are also plenty of academic clubs and research opportunities specifically designed for underclassmen, which can look great on your resume later on.

Aiden Stachowski

Academic: Micro/Nano Systems - 2027

Hometown: Stafford, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: Catholic Campus Ministry, IEEE@VT, ECE Ambassadors

Favorite Thing About VT: The school spirit and community!

Advice for Prospective Students: Don't be afraid to cold email teachers and connect with peers. At VT, you can connect with so many people, you just have to have the courage to reach out.

Matthew Yanez 

Academic: Major: Networking and Cybersecurity; Minor: Finance; Graduation Year: 2027

Hometown: Burke, VA

Professional/Student Organizations: Vice President External for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Residential Wellbeing-Student Leader, Undergraduate Research for the Hume Center, and ECE Ambassadors

Internships/Co-ops/Other Experience: Software Engineering Intern at Lockheed Martin and Hume Center Undergraduate Researcher

Favorite Thing About VT: The countless opportunities available at the VT, along with the relationships you build with the people you meet, make the VT experience special. Plus there is a Chick-fil-A on campus.

Advice for Prospective Students: Get out and try things. There are so many opportunities to get involved at Virginia Tech, so don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. ECE can be challenging at times, but keep working hard and push through it. At the same time, do not forget to live life, build those special relationships, and explore experiences beyond your coursework.