The only thing I knew about Hypatia before coming to Virginia Tech was that I would be able to live in a dorm with other female engineers. Little did I know, being a part of the Hypatia/Galileo program is much more than that! As a part of the first-year program, I made really strong friendships with other female engineers, I participated in community service, academic, and social events put on by the program, and I made contacts with great resources in the CEED (Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity) office. The most unexpected and rewarding skill that I gained from the first-year Hypatia program is professionalism; we were required to write a cover letter, resume, meet with professors, and attend career fairs. Most freshmen do not even consider their upcoming career because college has just begun, but with help from the Hypatia/Galileo program, that freshman year is the best time to begin thinking about and even beginning one’s post-college career goals. The Hypatia/Galileo program at Virginia Tech is a great organization for freshmen engineering students who are looking forward to a well-rounded and successful freshman year. – Cori McClarin
I enjoyed being able to live on a hall of engineers and working together on homework and other projects with them.
I liked having second-year [Galileo] students available to help study and ask advice. | I decided to apply to Galileo because my mom knew someone whose daughter was in Hypatia and really enjoyed the program. I was also very excited about the idea of living with a bunch of other people in engineering. The program has been one of the best experiences during my time in college and I have made so many awesome friends through the Galipatia community. It is nice when everyone around you can relate to your interests and can also relate to the kind of classes you are taking as an engineering student. I also really enjoyed the academic, social, and service activities that I was a part of through Galileo. - Hunter Long |
| The best thing about Hypatia is living with all the girls in engineering and being able to work together, study together, and help each other out when stressful situations occur. | I decided to join Galileo because I thought living with a bunch of other engineers would help my grades in school. I also thought that I would be able to meet a bunch of new people so I could make friends and network. After doing Galileo, I definitely made many new friends, and the academic support was great. I did very well my first semesters at college. The professional development class also helped me prepare for the career world, such as writing a resume, and meeting with recruiters. There are no other classes that offer that type of learning. – Brian McNulty |
 | I decided to do Hypatia because I thought it would help make a “big” university seem smaller. I liked the idea of having a roommate who at least was studying engineering, and not an entirely random individual. As freshmen, I made the best friends that I have made at Tech so far! It was a huge benefit to have so many students nearby who were in the same classes as I was, and I got to learn from the sophomores/juniors about what classes are like when you progress in your college career. Also, I got reviews on my resume, which was helpful, and we were shown how to make a grade calculator to calculate your projected grade for a class at any point during the year, which I still use. – Maggie Dozier |
I spent about a month or so deciding between several different theme housing opportunities. I ended up applying to two and was accepted to both. However, I chose Hypatia because I wanted to be able to go next door or down the hall and ask other engineers questions about assignments. I wanted to build friendships with other female engineers because I knew I would be a minority in all of my classes. I was initially hesitant to choose Hypatia because I thought living with engineers would be boring and lack diversity but the girls I met and lived with I now have lifelong friendships. And there is way more diversity than I could even imagine. Furthermore, I didn't even know about the social, academic, and community service opportunities that came with the community. Or that I would have a second year directly assigned to me and several other freshman engineers I lived with to support me through my first year. The class that was required armed me with the skills needed to succeed professionally as well. I, with absolutely no doubt, would recommend this program to any rising freshman female engineer. – Jackie Falatko
