The Dual-Degree Engineering program allows students to receive a Bachelor of Arts from Jewell and then spend two years at a partner school to obtain a Bachelor of Science in engineering. In addition to Columbia, Jewell partners with Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Vanderbilt University and the University of Kansas.

“When I first considered dual-degree I saw Columbia and said ‘No way, Ivy League, how am I going to pay for that.’ But after a push from my parents and my professors, I realized not only did I want to go there, but I am capable,” said Storvick.

She looked into financial aid options and talked to Daniela Marin, current Class of ’19 dual-degree student at Columbia, and began to set her goals.

“While realizing it is going to be difficult, I am so excited to submerge myself in a different culture by being at a large school and being in the heart of New York City,” said Storvick.

Storvick is looking forward to the opportunities that Columbia and the city will bring her, such as potential internships and research opportunities. She hopes to continue her education at Columbia in their master’s program after her two years in the undergraduate engineering program. Their masters program is one year, and students can enter it directly if they show success in the bachelor’s program.

Storvick’s interest in engineering has its roots in her family. Her dad works in civil engineering, and her grandpa worked in nuclear and chemical engineering. They both encouraged her to pursue engineering, but she didn’t know what area of the field she wanted to study.

“When I had to decide which path to take, I decided to go with mechanical because it seemed to encompass almost every other field of engineering in some way. I would say it is one of the most multifaceted disciplines of engineering and with that comes a lot of opportunities for future work,” said Storvick.

While her family originally sparked her interest in engineering, she attributes her success in the field to her individualized liberal arts education.

“If I were to attend a larger university as a freshman, I think I would have been more likely to switch majors because of a minor setback such as a bad test grade or because of the hundreds of people surrounding me with no guidance. At Jewell, it is easy to have personable relationships with professors, and it is easy to get help as long as [you’re] ambitious enough to seek it,” she said.

She sees the value in not only personal relationships and support received from her professors but also her personal growth while at Jewell. A liberal arts education taught her skills beyond engineering.

“Jewell has made me the well-rounded individual I am by giving me the chance to be a student, an athlete, a leader and a critical thinker all at once,” said Storvick.

In her time at Jewell, she has been a member of the women’s soccer team and University Innovation Fellows as well as president of the Society of Physics Students and Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She has also participated in various physics projects, like teaching children in Guatemala to make their own solar powered lanterns and an experiment that tested how temperature and composition affect the flow of fluid in weightlessness.

“I have been presented with many inspiring opportunities,” said Storvick. “The fluid dynamics experiment I worked on last year introduced me to the endless opportunities that the field I am in has. Being a member of University Innovation Fellows has also inspired me to find a way to mix my creative and innovative style with my engineering background.”

Storvick isn’t sure what her plans are for after Columbia.

“I believe this is what drives me to keep learning,” she said. “I know that I will find my passion, and just because I am unsure of my career path at this moment, doesn’t mean I won’t find it…Hopefully my time in engineering school will guide me to finding my passion.”

Photo by Talia Zook.

*A previous version of this article was published incorrectly identifying Daniela Marin as William Jewell Class of ’17.

William Jewell College seniors Grant Janssen, physics and ACT-In major and mathematics minor and Samantha Cobb, physics major, are graduating this spring and hope to take what they have learned at Jewell on to graduate school in order to pursue professional engineering careers.

Janssen originally was on the three-two plan in which he planned to attend Jewell for three years then go on to get an engineering degree at another institution. However, he decided to stay at Jewell for an extra year.

“A turning point for me was when I decided to stay for four years instead of moving on in three. After that I started to get a lot more involved and it started to change my whole experience at Jewell,” said Janssen.

He is heavily involved with his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, the Pryor Leadership Program and the golf team. Janssen also holds positions as the treasurer of Mortar Board and the president of Order of Omega.

On graduating, Janssen said he will miss the Jewell community and the physics department.

“The physics faculty is really supportive. They are always honest with their opinions which is great because that helped me to shape my decision for graduate school,” said Janssen.

Janssen got accepted into the engineering program at Washington University in St. Louis, but the school does not have a program in sustainable engineering, his specialty of interest.

During his time at Jewell, Janssen had an internship as a project manager in solar energy, which led him to become passionate about renewable energy.

“What I really want to do is get a job in that sector and get some experience then see where that goes and if that leads to graduate school somewhere else that has sustainable engineering that would be my plan,” said Janssen.

Some graduate schools Janssen is looking into that offer his specialty are the University of California, Berkley, The University of Michigan and Stanford University.

For the future, Janssen aspires for a masters of business administration, attend engineering graduate school, become a professional engineer (PE) and start his own company if he sees the niche.

“There isn’t a whole lot of solar engineering opportunities in Kansas City; they are mainly in the Southwest, but I would like to see it move here and be a part of the shift,” said Janssen.

Cobb will be attending Washington University in St. Louis as well. She is leaning towards the three year program in which she will earn a masters and bachelors degree in chemical engineering.

Cobb chose Washington University because of the good reputation they have for graduating chemical engineers, it is close to home and Dr. Baker, physics faculty, also attended the school and has high recommendations for their programs.

Cobb considers the physics department to be a family and enjoys how the physics professors genuinely care for their students.

“The physics faculty even get to know the students’ lives, and through that they can find internships and jobs that will interest individual students,” said Cobb.

Cobb had a research internship with the Pilsbury Scholars. In the program, Cobb completed an aquaponics system and went to Haiti to install solar panels.

“I want to stay on the environmental side of chemical engineering, but I haven’t decided if I want to be in the office or out in the field working. I am hoping that through summer internships I can get an idea of exactly what I want to do,” said Cobb.

During her four years at Jewell, Cobb has been president of her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, and currently holds positions as secretary of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics national honors society, and president of Kappa Mu Epsilon, the mathematics national honors society.

Photos by Chandler Eaton. A previous version of this article was published.