Michelle Warner

Stanford Mechanical Engineering, class of 2013

Research Assistant with Prof. Sheri Sheppard

Sigma Design Summer 2012 Intern

Student Stitcher at the Stanford Costume Shop

Vice President Alpha Epsilion Phi Sorority

Interests: Sewing, Tennis

The first answer I ever had to the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” was “an inventor." Since a very young age I have always liked building. I started with small things: a bird feeder, furniture for my dolls, shelves for my books and many other inventions. I soon discovered that nobody grows up to be an “inventor” but lots of people become “engineers.” Although when I first heard this word I didn’t know what engineering entailed, in high school I delved into the world of engineering. When I joined the Science Olympiad team, a high school science competition consisting of 23 different events spanning all aspects of science, math and engineering, I found that the events I was attracted to were classified as “engineering” events. As I created countless devices to perform a variety of functions, I became obsessed with the challenge of maximizing variables, trying to balance each factor perfectly against the others to create the ideal device. Besides innovative parts of engineering, I really enjoy the physical construction aspects as well. Over the years, my construction abilities have greatly expanded. From an early age I worked with the basic hammer and nails, but in highschool I mastered more complex woodworking tools such as the drill press and more than seven different types of saws as well as oxy-acetelyne and MIG welding. Additionally, I’ve been sewing since middle school and continue to do so today. My infatuation with creation, combined with the thirst for a challenge, are the reasons I have decided to pursue engineering as a career.