Meet Michelle Ma!
Pronouns: She series
Class Year: 2022
Hometown: Fort Lee, New Jersey
Majors: Mechanical Engineering & Biomedical Engineering
Minor: Engineering Management
Contact Me: michelle.ma@tufts.edu
Favorite Engineering Professor
My favorite professor so far has to be Professor Monica Pheifer. She teaches Engineering Management (EM51), which I took in the fall of my sophomore year. I loved her class, hence why I became an Engineering Management minor. Professor Pheifer was also always positive and had high energy, which was contagious. She loved what she was teaching and she kept it very real. I learned so much about real-world engineering in her class and it was hard to disengage. Even now, I still use what I learned and it has led me to notice and ask intelligent, insightful questions during job interviews and other events. It's impossible to count the number of helpful tips and advice she gave in class. She's an amazing connection to have as well, and she doesn't hesitate to help her students with anything. She's a wonderful person to meet. Not to mention, she has such a cool career journey! She also never forgets to bring a fun snack to have during the break in her 3-hour-long class!
Favorite Tufts Tradition
It's hard to pick a favorite, but I definitely enjoyed Tuftstonia Day. It was honestly just a day where I went around with my friends feeling like a kid again. Carnivals were a big part of my childhood, so Tuftstonia Day reminded me of a time when the most stressful thing was making sure I didn't barf when I got on a dizzy ride. It was nice to destress and get your face painted, win a monkey doll, or go on a Ferris wheel that looks like it could break any second
Advice for Prospective Students
Come to Tufts with an open mind and an open heart. Engage in activities that you never imagined yourself doing because guess what? You're going to have a great story to tell later on, whether the experience was awesome, weird, or embarrassing. Next, no matter what happens, don't be discouraged. College is new for everybody the first time around, so I guarantee you that whatever it is that's putting you down, another person on this very campus has some advice or experience that they could share with you. And finally, ask whoever, whatever. The people at Tufts, both students and faculty, are some of the kindest and most helpful people you'll meet, so don't be afraid to ask all your questions and concerns, even if you claim they're silly because at the very least, they know that you're trying to keep in touch with them. Keep these connections because they can go a long way!