Although the COVID-19 pandemic upended Celina’s plans to study and get involved in on-campus activities, she’s diving into her online courses and anticipating when she’ll arrive on campus.

Interested in entrepreneurship and manufacturing operations, Celina is eager to get involved in these fields, and Professor Lingo has served as a source of motivation. “Her vision regarding leadership, entrepreneurship, and education is truly inspiring,” she says.

With a BS in chemical engineering, Celina chose WPI for a master's degree in system dynamics and innovation management. The move was a little intimidating she says, because she wasn’t sure how her engineering background would help her excel in an academic dimension focused on business. Fortunately, WPI’s strengths are proving beneficial to everything she’s learning. “WPI’s project-based curriculum is helping me to see and experience the aspects of business, marketing, and finances,” she says.

With this approach, Celina integrates all the classroom concepts and then applies her background knowledge to a new discipline. Understanding the work and using it in a real-life situation is “of tremendous help,” she says, and she looks forward to more meaningful projects on her path to earning her advanced degree.