Special thanks to Ike Fritz for leading one of our best rush weeks yet! We are so excited to introduce our new pledge class!
Gianna McLeod
Year: Sophomore
Major: Math and Computer Science
Hometown: White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Why Engineering? I like math and problem solving.
Why UW-Madison? My sister lives here, also I love the lake.
What’s your favorite movie? La La Land.
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Breathe underwater, I just think it would be cool.
Fun Fact: I like to crochet stuffed animals.
Ryan Tumpowsky
Year: Sophomore
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Why Engineering? I took CS classes in high school and really enjoyed them, and ended up sticking with it.
Why UW-Madison? I wanted a big school with good sports, a good computer science program, and is close to home.
What’s your favorite movie? Interstellar
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? I’d pick teleportation because it would be awesome to be wherever you want to be whenever you want to be there.
Fun Fact: I have 2 English cream golden retrievers.
Drew Kastenschmidt
Year: Sophomore
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Ripon, Wisconsin
Why Engineering? It allows you to solve problems in real-world scenarios and allows you to work with your hands.
Why UW-Madison? The blend of social and school life.
What’s your favorite movie? Stepbrothers
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Photographic memory because it would make studying really easy..
Fun Fact: I’m allergic to Christmas trees.
Shubh Arora
Year: Sophomore
Major: Mechanical Engineering & Computer Science
Hometown: Fremont, California
Why Engineering? I have always been interested in robotics and targeting both engineering/cs was a great way to develop a broad skillset in the field.
Why UW-Madison? UW-Madison is a great school for both engineering/cs and I thought a city life campus like Madison would be fun.
What’s your favorite movie? Inception
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? The ability to teleport anywhere at anytime because it makes life so much more convenient. Go to class, visit friends, get food, and travel the world all with a singular thought.
Fun Fact: I am really good at Tetris.
Annie Zhao
Year: Freshman
Major: Computer Science & Statistics
Hometown: Minnetonka, Minnesota
Why Engineering? I love STEM subjects and how technical & logical CS is. I also love that the field is always growing and evolving.
Why UW-Madison? I’ve always wanted to go to a big school (outside of MN) and you can’t beat the Badgers!
What’s your favorite movie? La La Land
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Teleportation.
Fun Fact: I love Nike Air Maxes.
Paulina Castaneda
Year: Sophomore
Major: Environmental Engineering
Hometown: Plainfield, Illinois
Why Engineering? I have a passion for sustainability and want to drive innovation for change in different industries, specifically in water (because I love water).
Why UW-Madison? I love the community here — you can’t beat the social life and the campus. The university has given me so much support and opportunities for success.
What’s your favorite movie? How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or Megamind.
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? I would pick mind reading because getting insight into how people think would be interesting!
Fun Fact: I drink at least 3 cups of coffee a day.
Elaine Wixted
Year: Sophomore
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Hometown: Cohasset, Massachusetts
Why Engineering? I loved taking chemistry and physics classes, and I feel like materials science is the perfect blend of these while also including problem solving and math.
Why UW-Madison? The campus is so pretty and it has a good engineering program, and the people are great!
What’s your favorite movie? 13 Going On 30
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? I would choose flying, because it would be cool to go anywhere in the world.
Fun Fact: I can say the alphabet backwards
Izzy Zeman
Year: Sophomore
Major: Industrial Engineering
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
Why Engineering? I love math and problem solving!
Why UW-Madison? My scholarship and that it’s close to home.
What’s your favorite movie? The Princess Bride
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? The ability to locate lost things because I’m always misplacing my stuff.
Fun Fact: I’m the top candidate for our homecoming parade’s Miss Wienermobile of 2024.
Ben Bossman
Year: Freshman
Major: Chemical Engineering
Hometown: LaCrosse, Wisconsin
Why Engineering? I’ve always loved math/science, and wanted to do something where I could solve problems and make processes and things more efficient and sustainable.
Why UW-Madison? Relatively close to home, love the campus, and grew up a badger sports fan.
What’s your favorite movie? Lord of the Rings Return of the King
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Flight.
Fun Fact: I love music, play guitar, bass, trombone, and sing.
Riccardo Lamon
Year: Sophomore
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Castelfranco, Veneto
Why Engineering? Business wasn’t for me and I’m interested in building/designing cars.
Why UW-Madison? I looked for engineering schools and liked Madison.
What’s your favorite movie? Cars
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Super speed because I can get things done quicker and save time.
Fun Fact: I speak 4 languages.
Sophia Prondzinski
Year: Freshman
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Hometown: Minnetonka, Minnesota
Why Engineering?I love problem solving and having the potential to use math to make a positive impact on the world.
Why UW-Madison? Everything about it fit what I wanted, great location, good academics, and a wonderful community.
What’s your favorite movie? Breakfast at Tiffany’s
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? I think I would pick flying, it would feel really freeing and I’d be able to see the world from a new perspective.
Fun Fact: I am fluent in Spanish.
Guillemette Schroepfer
Year: Sophomore
Major: Biomedical Engineering and Religious Studies
Hometown: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Why Engineering? I’ve always enjoyed problem solving and building things. I was always good at STEM classes in school so it seemed like the obvious choice.
Why UW-Madison? I did not want to go to Minnesota but still wanted to be close to home. I also just fell in love with the campus.
What’s your favorite movie? All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Teleportation. that way I can save money on plane tickets to see my besties.
Fun Fact: I have an identical twin sister
Jaden Tan
Year: Sophomore
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Singapore
Why Engineering? I was excited about the idea of the endless possibilities CS provides. It teaches the fundamentals one would need to branch out to various fields such as AI. CS also plays a vital role in shaping the world we live in today.
Why UW-Madison? I chose UW-Madison because it has a great CS program. It also has a stunning campus in a vibrant city.
What’s your favorite movie? Hunger Games
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Teleportation. Traveling is far too inconvenient.
Fun Fact: I served in the Singapore Air Force and got to play with guns and grenades which was fairly cool (I think).
Kayla Radtke
Year: Freshman
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Red Wing, Minnesota
Why Engineering? I’ve always been curious about why things work how they do and engineering helps answer this constant stream of questions.
Why UW-Madison? It’s the perfect mix of a competitive academic atmosphere with the excitement and fun of a big ten school.
What’s your favorite movie? The Grinch
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Ability to freeze time – endless opportunity.
Fun Fact: I can name all 195 countries.
Elizabeth Risgaard
Year: Freshman
Major: Industrial Engineering
Hometown: Neenah, Wisconsin
Why Engineering? I have always loved problem solving and enjoyed taking math classes.
Why UW-Madison? I wanted to stay in Wisconsin and I love the campus culture of Madison. It also helps that UW-Madison has a great engineering program!
What’s your favorite movie? Mean Girls
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? I would pick teleportation so I wouldn’t have to walk to my classes
Fun Fact: I currently have a broken bone in my foot
Peter Vasterling
Year: Sophomore
Major: Engineering Mechanics
Hometown: Eagan, Minnesota
Why Engineering? I am highly motivated and interested in applications of science and math, especially in research and development.
Why UW-Madison? I appreciate the academic presence of the school, and really like the campus itself being close to the lake, and being near a larger city.
What’s your favorite movie? Guardians of the Galaxy
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Probably teleportation.
Fun Fact: In my free time I brew kombucha
Walter Van Dyke
Year: Sophomore
Major: Engineering Mechanics
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Why Engineering? I love to learn, and EMA is all about the fundamental laws of nature. I hope to use my degree to enter research or teach.
Why UW-Madison? The lakes and the people! UW students know how to put the work in, and there’s always something fun going on.
What’s your favorite movie? Harry Potter (Any of them)
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? The ability to fly. I could make it to E hall in like 30 seconds. It would also be cool to see everything from above.
Fun Fact: I host a radio show for an hour a week on WSUM!
Sydney Magee
Year: Freshman
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Prescott, Wisconsin
Why Engineering? I chose engineering because I love problem solving, and I’m always down for a challenge. Plus building things is cool.
Why UW-Madison? I chose Madison for the mix of academics and social life. The engineering program is top notch, and the campus life is always a great time.
What’s your favorite movie? Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? I would want the ability to time travel. It would be so fun to go back and experience all the different eras (for sure spending some time in the 90s).
Fun Fact: I love music! I sing and play the piano.
Bennett Kinney
Year: Sophomore
Major: Chemical Engineering
Hometown: Brookfield, Wisconsin
Why Engineering? I love math and science, building things, kind of always wanted to do engineering. (Money is definitely not a deterrent either).
Why UW-Madison? The people here are so nice, campus is beautiful, culture is awesome, and the engineering program is amazing.
What’s your favorite movie? Hot Rod
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Flight, I feel like there is nothing that could feel more freeing than gliding through the air.
Fun Fact: I’m currently aiming to run a marathon next semester.
Masa Abboud
Year: Sophomore
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Oak Brook, Illinois
Why Engineering? I chose computer science because I love solving problems and being creative, and it lets me combine these passions with almost any field I’m interested in. It’s exciting to think about the endless possibilities for innovation and making a real impact.
Why UW-Madison? The “energy” at UW-Madison felt right. I love the people, the town, and the variety of things to do.
What’s your favorite movie? Crazy Rich Asians
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Teleporting because I would be able to travel anywhere whenever I want. I would go to different countries every weekend.
Fun Fact: I’ve once been chased up a hill by a donkey.
Kate Briesemeister
Year: Freshman
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Minnetonka, Minnesota
Why Engineering? I have always loved math and science and been intrigued by healthcare. I like problem solving and figured biomedical engineering was a good mix of all my interests.
Why UW-Madison? I love the mix of academics and fun, and the atmosphere on the campus. I also like that I am close to my hometown but not too close.
What’s your favorite movie? Mamma Mia
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Flight.
Fun Fact: I have never a broken a bone.
John Pinto
Year: Sophomore
Major: Electrical Engineering
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Why Engineering? I chose engineering because I’ve always had a natural curiosity to understand the why behind what makes the world go around. I specifically chose electrical engineering due to my love for the world of electrophysics and how it powers the world around us.
Why UW-Madison? I chose UW-Madison due to its excellent engineering program and beautiful campus. There is just something so magical seeing the view of the city and Lake Mendota walking off of Bascom.
What’s your favorite movie? My favorite movie is Oppenheimer because of its portrayal of a complicated genius
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? If I could chose a super power I would chose super intelligence so that my exams could fear me instead of vice versa.
Fun Fact: A fun fact about me is that I played basketball in high school and love playing for Theta Tau’s intramural team.
Henry Czupryna
Year: Sophomore
Major: Computer Engineering
Hometown: Hudson, Wisconsin
Why Engineering? Building is fun.
Why UW-Madison? UW is the best school in Wisconsin.
What’s your favorite movie? Apocalypse Now.
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Super speed because I enjoy running.
Fun Fact: I am a triplet.