Isabella Walter

“Concordia’s sense of community is a unique trait, especially in engineering.”

As a Mechanical Engineering student, Isabella Walter extends her university experience beyond the classroom. Switching gears between Concordia’s Concrete Toboggan Team, the Engineering Games, Troitsky Bridge Building Competition, EngiQueers, and Women in Engineering, Isabella shows just how dynamic an engineering degree can be.  

How has your program been?

My program has been challenging, which I totally expected, but also really fun. I've loved Mechanical Engineering a lot more than I thought I would because I've gotten involved outside of classes with student societies. Applying the knowledge that I’ve gained in my classes has been cool. In engineering, you have classes, tutorials and labs, so it’s a lot more coursework than just lectures. I'm specifically interested in materials, thermodynamics and fluid dynamics.

What’s it like being involved with so many student groups?

Being involved with so many student groups has greatly contributed towards my time here. This morning, I was helping pour concrete for Concordia’s Concrete Toboggan Team. We compete in the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race, the oldest engineering competition in Canada. Schools from across the country compete together in January, and this year it’s hosted in Montreal, which is exciting.

What kind of role do you have with Women in Engineering?

I'm an ambassador for Women in Engineering, which this year has involved creating new outreach opportunities. We do outreach to elementary schools, high schools and CEGEPS to encourage young girls and students to pursue engineering. We also organize social events and conferences for high school students. Last year, I got to mentor a CEGEP student who was thinking of going into engineering at Concordia. I helped her make decisions on where she wanted to go and gave general guidance on what engineering is like at the undergraduate level.

What kind of advice do you give future students?

I always tell new students to get involved with student societies. It’s important to be able to apply your knowledge outside of the classroom because engineering is all practical work. There’s not always great gender diversity in engineering classes, but in student life you get to meet a lot of different people across majors.

What’s been the best part of your time at Concordia?

Concordia’s sense of community is a unique trait, especially in engineering. Being involved with student life enriched not only my education but also my social life. I was able to meet a lot of new people through student societies and was integrated into a super supportive community. People are very encouraging at Concordia, and I really appreciate that. I’m so happy I chose Concordia because I don’t think I could have gotten the same experience elsewhere.

What’s it like going to school in Montreal?

Montreal is my favorite place on Earth. I think it's the perfect city because it's small enough that you can walk around or get to places using public transport. But it's still a big city with tons of things to do.

Do you know what you want to do with your engineering degree?

Next year, I’m pursuing a Master of Science in materials science and engineering at Stanford University. I want to do research with materials, specifically biomaterials and nanomaterials, to help with early cancer detection, delivering drugs and immunotherapy. It’s a subset of what we study in Mechanical Engineering.

Thinking of studying engineering? Discover the many student societies within the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science!