July 30, 2021
Meet Melda Kiziltan!
Hello! My name is Melda Kiziltan and I will be going into my second year of Mechatronics Engineering in Fall 2021. I am currently on co-op doing dev-ops software development. A fun fact about me is that I can play the acoustic, classical, and electric guitar!
Why did you choose to study Mechatronics Engineering?
I chose to study mechatronics engineering because I wanted the combination of mechanical, electrical, and software with room to explore my interests. My high school was fortunate enough to have a robotics class and so I loved the integration of all three disciplines. Waterloo’s mechatronics program is something I’ve wanted since I was in 7th grade. I set my sights on it and I went for it. Being able to be surrounded by like-minded people was also a good bonus and the co-op program was a huge factor.
What extra-curricular activities are you currently participating in?
I’ve been the academic rep for my class since my 1A term, I hosted a workshop, currently I am an equity, diversity, and inclusion director and an EngHack 2021 logistics director. I am also the mechanical team lead for the UW Orbital CubeSat team. In addition, I will be the fall term Waterloo Engineering Competition Commissioner. Within the community, I am also a counsellor on the board of directors in the Francophone Association of KW. Other fun things I like to do are hackathons (SheHacks, Hack the North, EngHack) and play guitar – of course!
How was your first year with everything being online? Do you have any advice for incoming students doing online classes?
My first year was a big change from high school, as expected, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be online. There are definitely things I wish I were on campus for but I still learned a lot, had fun, and made lots of friends. My advice to incoming students is to have a dedicated study space. Separating your spaces will make the world of difference in your productivity. Be sure, as always, to take breaks and take care of yourselves. Stick to your schedule and be kind to yourself. Get involved, make friends, and enjoy it. Engineering isn’t easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding.
