Alyssa CalbertAs an engineering major from Kansas City, Colton Russell had several choices when deciding which college to attend. Wichita State, he says, "just felt right."
Colton is one of more than 2,400 students eligible for spring 2019 graduation. Learn more about Colton's time at Wichita State and what's next for the senior.
What is your degree in? I will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and a minor in the Honors Leadership Track.
What led you to WSU to begin with? Being an engineering major, I found myself looking at four universities in Kansas (KU, KSU, PSU and WSU). Upon visiting each university, though, WSU just felt right. The campus was small, but campus life was very active, which I liked, as well as being inside inside a city made me feel like I was at home. The professors on campus were outstanding and seemed willing to do anything in their power to make sure their students succeed. I didn't feel that in the majority of places that I visited.
How do you feel leading up to graduation? Leading up to graduation has been a stressful but exciting time. It's contained a lot of reminiscing on past times here at WSU but also excitement concerning the future.
What has been your most impactful learning experience while a student at WSU? My internship experience has contributed to the bulk of my "hands-on" learning. With my three internships with three different companies, it gave me a chance to reach into different industry fields and really figure out what I wanted to do after graduation.
What has been your biggest challenge as a student, and how did you overcome it? One of the things that I found challenging was finding a balance between my student organizations, class work and social life. There were times that I felt very overwhelmed with all three and I struggled a bit, but those times came and went, and looking back I realize I enjoyed every bit of it.
What are your career plans? I will be starting full time with Burns & McDonnell engineering in their transmission and distribution department working with relaying in substations on projects that span across the country!
What advice wold you give other WSU students? My advice to a student would be to enjoy the time while you have it. It seems like three years ago at this time I was wondering when I would graduate and make my way into the real world, but now that the time has come, I wonder where the time went. Enjoy every second, whether that is a big formal event or an afternoon hangout with your friends because those are the moments that you'll remember years later.
One final piece of advise I'd pass along is never be afraid to ask! There have been many times during my college career that I asked a professor or faculty member something and they said yes, maybe even when I was expecting the opposite. It never hurts to ask, and you never know how it will work out!
