March is Women’s History Month, a time in which TCNJ’s School of Engineering is proud to recognize and honor the many women that contribute to the field of engineering. Chelsea Cantone is a junior Electrical and Computer Engineering major with a passion for everything technology-related. As a freshman, Chelsea entered the program as an open options Engineering major, but quickly found a home in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, where her potential and interests quickly developed.
“Engineering gives you perspective into how the future is being shaped: smart houses, internet of things, sustainable engineering, more wearable technology, an increase in autonomous system solutions, and a ton of other futuristic and disruptive tech I had never thought of before,” Chelsea said. “I hope to contribute to any of these fields and take part in realizing this future.”
Chelsea is well on her way to accomplishing this goal. She currently works with Dr. Seung-yun Kim on his research on collaborative robotics and intelligent systems. This summer, she will be doing an internship with Teletronics Technology Corporation.
Even in her spare time, Chelsea can be found in Armstrong Hall. She serves as the webmaster for the school’s robotics team that is busy preparing their spring firefighting competition. As the treasurer of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, she is a role model for underclassmen STEM students. Despite her busy schedule, Chelsea still makes time for other hobbies, including a passion for music.
“I always wanted to learn guitar, so last August I spontaneously took a trip with my friends to Music and Arts and bought an acoustic guitar,” Chelsea said.
In addition to learning the guitar, she likes to relax by spending time looking for new music and compiling playlists on Spotify. As an engineer and an avid music lover, Chelsea represents the important intersection between art and STEM.
Being a woman in STEM is important to Chelsea.
“My personal gendered experience in ECE has been positive, though, there is a certain amount of pressure on women in STEM to prove themselves equal to male peers,” Chelsea said. “Seeing a guy in STEM, you might automatically assume he’s smart but I feel like often for women they have to prove they deserve to be there. Seeing the accomplishments of other women in the major definitely inspires me as both a woman and an engineer.”
Chelsea counts Emily Warren Roebling and Hedy Lamarr among STEM women who inspire her most to reach her full potential as an innovator and engineer.
After TCNJ, Chelsea hopes to find a job at a company such as Lockheed Martin. She hopes to gain admittance to its Engineering Leadership Development program, which helps pay for further education and gives young engineers career experience. Lockheed Martin fascinates Chelsea, as its technology includes projects such as collaborative robotics and autonomous vehicles. Chelsea is just one of the school’s many young women on their way to positively impacting the future of engineering.