Rabab Chowdhury is a second-year student in the Albert Nerken School of Engineering and an alumna of STEM Outreach@Cooper, which she joined during the summer of 2023, between her junior and senior years of Stuyvesant High School. We asked her about her experience studying STEM topics at Cooper as a high school student, what she learned in the program, and what she hopes to accomplish as an undergraduate and beyond.

How did you learn about the STEM Outreach@Cooper program?

My high school sent out a weekly opportunities bulletin, where I learned about the STEM Saturdays program. After applying for that, I explored the other STEM opportunities Cooper had to offer to high school students like me.

What class or classes did you take in the Summer STEM program?

I was first welcomed to the STEM program as a Summer STEM student in 2023, where I took the Design and Drawing for Engineering course. After starting my academic journey at Cooper, I joined the team as a STEM Ambassador for the 2024-25 school year.

What was the best part of the class for you?

The STEM programs help high school students of different backgrounds engage in engineering activities in a college setting, which can be an experience they carry into their college career as an advantage. I was able to experience this both myself, as a Summer STEM alum, and through other high school students, as an Ambassador who guided hands-on engineering activities with them. 

What do you want to study as a Cooper Union undergraduate? 

I am currently studying chemical engineering with the intention to minor in Computer Science.