Hailey Chawla

Class of 2026
Major:  Computer Engineering
Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
High School:  Wheaton High School

What inspired you to become a ClarkLEADER?
Coming in as a new student to the A. James Clark School of engineering was quite intimidating at first. Attending the ClarkLEAD event made me feel like I belonged and made the right decision. The ClarkLEADERS were very welcoming. I want to have that same impact on the incoming engineering students. Every student deserves to feel welcomed to a new place where there can be so many unknowns.

If you attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student, what did you enjoy most about the event?
What I enjoyed the most about the ClarkLEAD event as a first-year student was hearing all of the stories and experiences of current engineering students. I felt as if I could relate and that I was not alone. It felt great to be surrounded by like-minded students.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with new Maryland Engineering students? 
Perseverance is key. Engineering is not easy, but no matter what happens you must always persevere. Keep pushing yourself and you will be surprised. It is worth it in the end!

What are some organizations or extracurricular activities you are involved with on campus?  
I am an A. James Clark School Scholar recipient. I am a member of Cohort 5.

What is a cool engineering experience you've had? 
One cool engineering experience that I had was in ENEE101 during the Fall 2022 semester. It is an intro to electrical engineering class and it gave me amazing exposure to the different fields within electrical and computer engineering. The labs were a lot of fun. One lab in particular was the fiber optics lab. We learned how to send sound signals from our laptops through a fiber optic tube to headphones. It was quite interesting to see how it worked!