"Majoring in Mechanical Engineering while at the Academy has made a huge impact in my life. People respect the fact that I majored in a more challenging major and that I have already performed under pressure. Although I may not be directly applying the heat transfer or design skills that I learned, my superiors and colleagues
recognize that I have already worked hard to achieve a degree in something that many consider too hard to try. I also feel like I am prepared to learn many of the systems that I am required to learn to earn my Surface Warfare Qualification. I can pick up on the engineering systems that we are tested on faster than most because I have a strong foundation from Mechanical Engineering. Majoring in Mech E also taught me a lot about myself. There were times when I was pushed to perform at a higher level than I thought I could. I am proud when I look back at my performance and know that I exceeded in a challenging academic path." 

Jennifer Nielsen USNA ME Major 2011