Mary-Kate Wesley is a senior from Louisville, Kentucky majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
What is your favorite memory from the University of Iowa?
I don’t think I could pick just one memory that summarizes the past 3 and a half years here at Iowa. Here are a few:
- Attending sporting Hawkeye sporting events, especially last week’s win over Penn State
- Spending all night studying in the Seamans Center and consuming way too much caffeine
- Experiencing primary recruitment as a potential new member, a recruiter, and a rho gamma
- Randomly talking to people sitting around me in class and forming friendships from it
What would like to see changed in the world during your lifetime?
I hope that there is no longer a stigma around mental health. Everyone should be offered free counseling and therapy. I think our generation is making good strides with the issue of mental health and we are not just avoiding it. We are having difficult but important conversations. We need to continue to bring attention to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, etc. It is so important to check on everyone in your life. I hope going to therapy becomes normalized and highly encouraged for all people.
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be?
I think the most rewarding superpower would be the power of healing.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see myself living either near the mountains or near the coast and working in the aerospace industry. I have earned my pilot’s license and am a flight instructor on the side. I will fund a few scholarships at the university, Kappa Alpha Theta, or Women in Aviation International. I have traveled to 10 new countries. I came back to a Hawkeye football game with my family. I love my job and am constantly speaking to organizations of young women to encourage them to get involved in STEM.
What is a fun fact that no one knows about you?
I am actively pursuing my private pilot's license.
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