Seizing All That Illinois Tech Offers

When Katja Berthold was deciding where she wanted to go to college, a variety of factors came into play, from what kind of education each college offered, its location, and its size.

Illinois Tech was some 4,000 miles from Katja's home in Honolulu. Yet, with extended family nearby, she couldn’t help but recognize all that Illinois Tech offered.

“Coming from a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Chicago feels like a world of endless possibilities and opportunities,” Katja says. “Through Illinois Tech I’ve gotten to visit some of the largest national laboratories, such as Argonne and Fermilab, and have reached out to other companies through the city. Even in my entry-level engineering classes I’ve learned important skills such as teamwork and problem solving.”

Katja also serves as a Student Ambassador at Illinois Tech, and is a member of Union Board, Society of Women Engineers, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers, among a variety of other extracurricular activities.

“Illinois Tech has the resources and is in a location that will open up doors and give you endless possibilities and opportunities,” Katja says, “but it’s up to you whether you want to go looking for them.”