After an amazing rush week planned by Addie Drier, Theta Tau Xi Chapter is excited to introduce you to our pledge class of Spring 2020! We asked our 13 pledges to tell us a little bit about themselves. We can’t wait to get to know them more this semester and welcome them to the brotherhood.
Jonathan Buettner
Hometown: West Bend, WI
Year: Sophomore
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Why your major? “I grew up working on tractors and cars, so I thought it was a good fit!”
Why UW-Madison? “Academic and social balance.”
Favorite place on campus: Edward K Park
Describe yourself in 3 words: Ambitious, Fun, Perceptive
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “I want to backpack in Peru.”
Hobbies/other interests: “Golf, motorcycling, fishing/hunting, cars, exercise and I have a farm with cows (hobby).”
Fun Fact: “When I was younger, I raced supermoto around Wisconsin.”
Lauren Hicks
Hometown: Morristown, NJ
Year: Freshman
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Why your major? “I have always enjoyed science, math, and healthcare, and biomedical engineering perfectly encompasses those three subjects!”
Why UW-Madison? “I choose UW-Madison because it truly captures the work-hard, play-hard environment I wanted for college, and the people here are so friendly!”
Favorite place on campus: “The Historial Society Building, it’s super pretty in there.”
Describe yourself in 3 words: Punny, Social, Optimistic
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “I really want to go cage-diving with sharks!”
Hobbies/other interests: “I love playing volleyball.”
Fun Fact: “I can whistle and spit water through my teeth!”
Anna Janicek
Hometown: Plainfield, IL
Year: Freshman
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Why your major? “So much of the medical field remains unexplored and I want to be part of the team that not only finds solutions and treatments to life-threatening diseases but also makes healthcare more accessible and affordable around the world.”
Why UW-Madison? “I wanted to be at a school where I could meet a ton of new people and be challenged academically. UW has a great reputation for engineering and they make great cheese and ice cream so it’s the best of both worlds!”
Favorite place on campus: Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
Describe yourself in 3 words: Ambitious, Athletic, Anna-lytical
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “Visit all the national parks!”
Hobbies/other interests: “Skiing, swimming, running, and watching Netflix”
Fun Fact: “I was bald until I was three! (look how that turned out) “
Ben Keegstra
Hometown: Madison, WI
Year: Sophomore
Major: Chemical Engineering
Why your major? “Sustainability has always interested me, and a good portion of that involves chemical engineering. Even if sustainability doesn’t work out, there are plenty of different careers and industries that need chemical engineers.”
Why UW-Madison? “I was born and raised in Madison and grew up watching the Badgers play. Also, I was already used to the cold so it was a natural fit.”
Favorite place on campus: The Shell
Describe yourself in 3 words: Optimistic, Competitive, Easy-going
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “I want to visit every continent.”
Hobbies/other interests: “Finding new music on spotify, weightlifting, golf”
Fun Fact: “I’ve jumped out of a perfectly good airplane before”
Ruthvik Konda
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Year: Freshman
Major: Computer Science
Why your major? “I really like problem solving and the intricacies of computer science. I also want to make an impact on the world and with this being the digital age, computer science felt like the best way for me to do that.”
Why UW-Madison? “The university has a great computer science program, an amazing college town, and awesome sports.”
Favorite place on campus: The Natatorium
Describe yourself in 3 words: Loyal, Funny, Daring.
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “I want to create something that helps people back in my parents’ hometown. I’ve always wanted to give back to that community. “
Hobbies/other interests: “Photography. Sports (Tennis/Volleyball/Soccer). Watching stand up comedy. Traveling.”
Fun Fact: “I’ve been to 16 countries now!”
Colton Kreischer
Hometown: Yorkville, IL
Year: Freshman
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Why your major? “I love making things that think, blink, move, or rapidly disassemble, so I’m studying mechanical engineering to work on mechatronic systems (which do at least 2, sometimes all 4).”
Why UW-Madison? “I chose UW-Madison because I thought that it had the best mix of engineering reputation and energetic student atmosphere.”
Favorite place on campus: The study tables in the Engineering Centers Building.
Describe yourself in 3 words: Collaborative, Innovative, Sincere
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “I want to cross the Karman line (the dividing line between Earth’s atmosphere and space, about 62 miles above Earth’s surface).”
Hobbies/other interests: “Photography, watching movies, and tinkering with mechanical/electrical/CS projects”
Fun Fact: “I won Judge’s Choice at my elementary school science fair with a trifold about whether or not the force of a magnet decreased as the amount of screws I stuck to it increased.”
Mary Laudon
Hometown: Rochester, MN
Year: Freshman
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Why your major? “I want to work with people with disabilities and design prosthetics or work in physical rehabilitation.”
Why UW-Madison? “My older sister went here and I wanted to go to a Big 10 School. This one had two lakes and a terrace.”
Favorite place on campus: Union South
Describe yourself in 3 words: Passionate, Funny, Assertive
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “See the Northern Lights”
Hobbies/other interests: “Playing basketball, watching Netflix, painting”
Fun Fact: “I have two corgis named Winston and Monte.”
Eric Martin
Hometown: Springfield, IL
Year: Freshman
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Why your major? “I am interested in learning about how the world works as well as sustainable solutions to our climate issue.”
Why UW-Madison? “I didn’t get into Michigan”
Favorite place on campus: Gordon Dining and Events Center
Describe yourself in 3 words: Cool, Nice, Funny
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “Become verified on Instagram, or Twitter, or both.”
Hobbies/other interests: “Basketball, Tennis, Table Tennis, DJing”
Fun Fact: “I have been to Germany and can speak the language and can assure you that no matter how kind you are, German children are Kinder.”
Caleigh Monfils
Hometown: Andover, MN
Year: Freshman
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Why your major? “I’m not 100% sure what I want to do within the engineering field, but mechanical offers a wide variety of subject areas so study.”
Why UW-Madison? “I grew up a Madison sports fan and had always pictured myself one day jumping around in Camp Randall. Madison offers the community feeling of home while being a diverse, interesting area.”
Favorite place on campus: Memorial Union Terrace
Describe yourself in 3 words: Driven, Stubborn, Curious
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “I just want my actions to make a positive impact on the community around me.”
Hobbies/other interests: “I love photography and hiking.”
Fun Fact: “I was a dancer for 14 years, but I am somehow still extremely clumsy.”
Mara Penner
Hometown: Moorestown, NJ
Year: Freshman
Major: Chemical Engineering
Why your major? “I love math and science, and I want to apply my interests towards improving processes and bettering the environment!”
Why UW-Madison? “I chose UW-Madison because of the great academics, the blend of city with nature, and the BigTen sports culture.”
Favorite place on campus: Historical Society
Describe yourself in 3 words: Hardworking, Independent, Easygoing
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “Travel to all 50 states and all continents.”
Hobbies/other interests: “Traveling, hanging out with friends, playing volleyball”
Fun Fact: “I’ve lived in three states: Wisconsin, Georgia, and New Jersey.”
Kadin Rioux
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Year: Freshman
Major: Computer Engineering
Why your major? “I’ve always had a fascination with computers. To me, each computer is one giant logic puzzle for me to try to solve and understand.”
Why UW-Madison? “I was looking for a campus with a strong engineering field, and I loved the campus itself, so it was a win-win.”
Favorite place on campus: Memorial Union
Describe yourself in 3 words: Helpful, Diligent, Cheerful
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “Take a trip visiting places all around the world.”
Hobbies/other interests: “DJing, Tennis”
Fun Fact: “I am an Eagle Scout”
Kavya Sebastian
Hometown: Edgewater, NJ
Year: Freshman
Major: Computer Science
Why your major? “I find the subject very intriguing and I love math.”
Why UW-Madison? ” I wanted to experience negative Fahrenheit, and it’s the best college I got into.”
Favorite place on campus: Lake Mendota
Describe yourself in 3 words: Outgoing, Motivated, Loud.
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “Make a difference in someone’s life.”
Hobbies/other interests: “I love to dance and I can play the piano.”
Fun Fact: “My grandparents were stuck in transit in Hong Kong for three days because I was born on 9/11.”
Anuli Steve-Chinatu
Hometown: Bloomington, MN
Year: Freshman
Major: Computer Science
Why your major? “I’ve wanted to do this ever since I watched a video about coding in class when I was ten.”
Why UW-Madison? “It’s a beautiful campus with a great Computer Science program.”
Favorite place on campus: Lakeshore Path
Describe yourself in 3 words: Funny, Caring, Ambitious
What’s one thing you want to accomplish in your lifetime? “I want to make a positive difference in as many people’s lives as possible.”
Hobbies/other interests: “Baking and various different crafts.”
Fun Fact: “My favorite food is grilled cheese, but sadly I somehow burn them 50% of the time.”