Leticia Schettino
Hometown:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
M&TSI Year:
2017
WHY DID YOU APPLY TO TAKE PART IN M&TSI?
I was interested in the program from the moment I found it online, not only was it at Penn – a university I have always dreamed of attending – it had lessons on both engineering and business. However, what really convinced me to apply were the online reviews I read from other ‘M&TSIers’. Their description of the amazing learning experience they had sold me and I became increasingly excited about the idea of spending my senior summer doing something different and challenging.
HOW DID M&TSI HELP YOU IDENTIFY FUTURE ACADEMIC OR CAREER GOALS?
The summer program exposed me to so much more than the core concepts of business or engineering. We truly got the chance to explore the intersection of these two fields as well as each individual area to a depth I would not have deemed possible in only three weeks! The introduction to each different department within the field of engineering helped confirm my previous ambition of studying chemical engineering in college. The business lectures pointed me to career paths I would never have imagined. Now I aim to study in a dual-degree program, where I can continue to explore the crossroad between these two fields as I have in M&TSI.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE M&TSI EXPERIENCE?
The classes and assignments were challenging but exciting, so I can definitely say I enjoyed the intensity of all the different academic activities relating to both business and engineering. The chance to spend three weeks at Penn and exploring Philly was definitely memorable.
If I have to choose a single best thing about my experience at M&TSI, it will definitely be the people I met there! From the other students, to the RTA’s to the professors and lecturers, I had the opportunity of working alongside incredibly brilliant minds and learned from each of their experiences. I did not think I would meet people from such distinct backgrounds but with such similar interests. Looking back, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised with all aspects of M&TSI!
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY UP TO?
I’m currently back in Rio, where I am enjoying my last three months as a senior in high school! I continue to work with leadership activities such as my role as member of the Student Council Executive. Outside of school, I help with the implementation of a large-scale recycling initiative. However, since I’ve been home I have also dedicated some time to learning more about programming and Python, an interest that resulted directly from my exposure to Arduino during the Engineering labs at M&TSI.