Hey! My name is Bailie Reed, and I am a first year student at SMU. I just graduated from Salado High School in the tiny town of Salado, Texas. I am a Computer Science and Math double major with a management science minor.

Right now, I work for the Hart Center for Engineering Leadership here at SMU. I work on various projects, as needed. Currently, I am working on the Hart Center’s website, and piloting some of the new programs they are providing the students and alumni. The Hart Center is an amazing tool for all engineering students.

I try to stay involved on campus, especially because SMU has so many wonderful organizations. I am a member of Ambassadors for Potential Engineering Students (APES), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and a volunteer group called Mustang Heroes. I also am currently a pledge for the engineering fraternity Theta Tau. My most recent addition is the freshman reading advisory board, which is a panel of professors and students who select the common reading for the next incoming class.

I chose SMU and the Lyle School of Engineering over other colleges for so many reasons, but one really made my choice for me. Our Dean, Geoffrey Orsak, spoke to the new engineering class and told us that we were chosen because the Lyle family believed in us. He told my classmates and I that their goal was to get us to graduation, and make us as strong of engineers and leaders as possible. Not many colleges look for engineers who are social and eloquent, but this is what sets SMU apart from the rest (and why you should come here).

I just finished the freshman design project for engineers. It was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but it was completely worth it. Basically you are put into groups and are given a task. This year we had to build a robot that could autonomously navigate a playing field, cross a firing line, and shoot a Ping-Pong ball into a target. You work in teams of electrical, mechanical, and computer engineers. It is not an easy project, but the challenge of it really is what makes it a unique and gratifying experience. You will also learn things you won’t necessarily get from just classes. You have to learn about working with people, motivating yourself and others, meeting deadlines, and present your ideas to people. I know it sounds a little daunting, but I promise it’s a class worth taking.