Student Spotlight: Hailee Shehu

Hailee Shehu is a Mechanical Engineering student in her senior year at Stony Brook University. She is the president of ASME and a mentor for the WISE honors program.

What made you choose Stony Brook University and a Mechanical Engineering major?

I chose Stony Brook University for a multitude of reasons. One of the biggest reasons was the WISE honors program and the support it provides to women pursuing STEM. I loved the idea of having a community and an upperclassman mentor immediately coming into my freshman year. In addition, I was excited about all the clubs and organizations Stony Brook had to offer, as I knew I wanted to be able to get involved and get some experience outside of classes.

How did you learn about ASME? What made you join and ultimately run for president?

I learned about ASME by looking through the clubs on SB Engaged. I knew I wanted to join because it offered both networking opportunities and hands-on projects. I ran for president because I was passionate about the club and wanted to see it grow. When I joined in my freshman year, the club had very few members, but I saw potential in the club and felt it was capable of more. After becoming president in my sophomore year, I ran again in my junior and senior years. In that time we have grown to over 50 active members and started many new traditions that I hope to see continue for years to come! It's going to be so hard to leave my SBU ASME family at the end of this year, but I know I'll be passing the torch to a great group of students who want to see the club succeed.

Can you tell us about the current research labs you are a part of?

I am currently doing my senior design project in the Advanced Combustion and Energy Systems Lab. My team is working on developing critical subsystems for an optically-accessible engine, which includes the cooling system and oiling system. I have also been involved in the lab in previous semesters, which has given me the opportunity to see experiments being run on the engines and learn new technical skills like the programming software LabVIEW.

Tell us about your experience with the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Honors Program?

One of my favorite parts of the WISE program is the mentoring aspect. All first year students who enter the WISE program are paired with an upperclassman mentor for the entire duration of their freshman year. My mentor, Leana Grotz, who now works at Stony Brook, was an amazing support during my first year here and I am so grateful for all the guidance she has given me since then. Because my mentoring experience was so valuable, I knew I wanted to become a mentor myself and took the first opportunity to do it when I became a sophomore. I am now in my third year as a mentor, and I love that my mentees from previous years still stay in touch and reach out for advice. WISE has given me such a wonderful community and I can’t even imagine what my college experience would have looked like without it.

What advice would you give to students?

My advice would be to put yourself out there and get involved, even if it means going outside of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to go to campus events and general body meetings, reach out to professors about research, or connect with employers on LinkedIn. The connections you make during your time here will be so valuable.

What are your plans for after graduation?

My hopes for after graduation are to work in the aerospace or defense industries. I interned at Innoveering, a subsidiary of GE Aerospace, this summer and really enjoyed the experience. My goal is to get a full time position at Innoveering or another company in the aerospace and defense sector.