Hello! My name is Nikita and I am a current Masters of Engineering Student at the University of Virginia. I just completed my undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering this May, and am currently pursuing my graduate degree in Systems Engineering. Please feel free to ask me about anything about adjusting to engineering, Housing & Residence Life, the UVA social life, and anything on your mind!

Hometown

Charlottesville, Virginia.

Major(s)

Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering

Clubs, organizations & involvement

- Housing & Residence Life, Resident Advisor and Senior Resident Advisor - Mechanical and Aerospace (MAE) Student Council, Executive Board - Alpha Omega Epsilon, DEI Chair - AIAA UVA Chapter (Aerospace Society), Social Chair - Research (Aerospace & Astronomy Research) - UVAccelerate (4 + 1 Masters Program) - Intermural Sports (Ask me about Inner Tube Water Polo!) - MAE Subsonic Rocket Capstone, Propulsion Lead

Describe your college experience

Perhaps it is the post-graduation buzz, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my college experience at UVA! Coming in from a fairly rural school outside of Charlottesville, I had a very hard time transitioning to the college course curriculum. However, I was able to get support through my peers, professors, and UVA staff and eventually not only adjust, but thrive.

Tip for future students

- Don't be afraid to ask your professors for help, even if you think it is a stupid question. - Pay attention in your classes, sometimes professors give hints on what to expect on exams - FIND A GOOD STUDY GROUP! It makes all the difference, especially on long homework assignments. - You have a niche interest in something? I assure you there is a club for it. - Don't be afraid to have a bit of fun, you'll miss the environment when you graduate. - Have a lot of extremely rigorous classes? Take a sanity class as an extracurricular. Don't treat it as an 'Easy A', but rather something to look forward to and something that challenges your worldview.

Favorite class

EDLF 2070, Effective Altruism by Jason Jones. To this day it has been my favorite class and has forever changed the way I perceive altruistic endeavors. It is a philosophy centered around doing the 'most good' for the most amount of people. The way it was taught and the projects we did (one of which included analyzing nonprofits) was a very notable learning experience. Highly recommend.

Career goals

I hope to go into something spacecraft related, although I do keep my options open. I have interests in hypersonic propulsion and satellite instrumentation and hope to find a career that would allow me to contribute to those fields. Additionally, I have interests in safety engineering and risk analysis which I have been exploring more in my masters, and would love to get involved in perhaps consulting​/​contracting work with a focus on those fields as it relates to aerospace engineering.

Ideal way to spend a free night

Playing an intermural sports game with some friends, eating a good dinner at the dining hall (got to make use of those meal plans!), and then hanging out for the rest of the evening. It could be a night in playing board games, or a night out on the town, it would depend on the mood and the weather!

High school or secondary school

- William Monroe High School, Stanardsville Virginia

Previous college

N​/​A