Kayla Carneal is one of five students selected to be Reflection Speakers at Commencement, sharing words of wisdom.
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee.
What led you to choose Georgia Tech for your studies?
I always loved math and science growing up, and I quickly decided that I wanted to become an engineer. After figuring out my path, Georgia Tech was incredibly alluring. I loved seeing how dedicated GT was to engineering and research and felt as though I would fit in here.
How did you choose the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering major?
Despite me now cautioning this reason to new students, I initially chose chemical engineering because I loved AP Chemistry in high school. I quickly realized that AP Chem and ChBE were not all that aligned. However, the reason I stayed in ChBE I believe is more important.
I chose to continue because I truly believe this is one of the most versatile majors within engineering, and chemical engineers are integral to almost every single industry. I came in wanting to work in pharmaceuticals, and I am leaving working on the Artemis missions, with experience in the automotive industry along the way. Not many other majors have room for that path to take place.
What are your plans after graduation? Where will that be based? What will that role involve?
I will be headed back to NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. I’ll be serving on ECLSS: the Environmental Controls and Life Support Systems Team. While I do not have a specific project yet, this team focuses on keeping our astronauts alive during missions and aboard the International Space Station, including oxygen generation reactors, turning urine to water, trace contaminant control from machinery, and more.
You interned with NASA. Can you talk more about that experience and what your role was?
I was in the pathways program, which is the name for NASA’s co-op program. I would absolutely recommend this to ChBE students, primarily those in their second or third years. I was able to rotate with NASA four different times, going to four separate teams.
My rotations included working on the carbon fiber of an Artemis mission payload adaptor within a material science group, working on additive manufacturing for nuclear thermal propulsion, optimizing and testing a vacuum chamber cold trap system for extracting water from lunar regolith, working on a novel oxygen generation reactor, aiding in trace containment control studies, and more.
I truly was able to experience so many different teams, and I have learned so much from this journey.
Did other internships/co-ops help prepare you for success?
I also interned with Tesla in San Francisco on the exterior coatings material science team. I really enjoyed my team, and we were working on a novel project that I hope will launch soon.
Did you participate in undergraduate research during your studies? If so, in whose lab and what did you work on?
I have worked in Professor Ravie Kane;s lab since the second semester of my first year under Raj Patel, a PhD student graduating this summer. It was a wonderful experience where I first started with experiential learning, supporting work with nanoparticle vaccines and studying COVID in particular.
You’ve been a Peer Mentor. What did you get out that experience?
Being a Peer Mentor was a wonderful experience where I was able to give all of the advice I wish I had as a first year. Not only did we discuss paths to success within ChBE, but at Georgia Tech in general, and it was super fun to get to know the new students while getting a chance to tell them about my journey here.
What kind of extracurricular activities did you participate in at Tech?
I joined Wish for Wash, a non-profit organization partnered with Engineers without Borders, working on a menstrual health team. I eventually became team lead for a bioplastics research initiative, where I led the design of a fully sustainable menstrual product. I also was on the Nicaragua and Bolivia teams of engineers without borders, later serving as the Vice President of Corporate Relations. I also was involved in RoboNav, working on the science team of the Mars Rover Challenge, a Georgia Tech tour guide, and part of a social sorority on campus.
How did your educational experience at Georgia Tech help you to achieve your goals?
Ever since I was a kid, I had NASA in my sights. I loved the stars, and being involved in them was a major goal for me. I was nervous to start working there, but as though Georgia Tech prepared me not just to get the role, but to go far within it. I often reference my notes throughout my work there, including working mass transport to approve materials for launch headed to the ISS, reactor design strategies for oxygen generation, and more. I feel as though Georgia Tech hands us the tools to succeed, and it also brought me an amazing support system along the way.
What advice would you give to new students pursuing Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering?
Be open minded! My path and career goals changed drastically during my time here. Allow yourself to try new ideas, apply to different internships, look at different research labs, and have fun in a range of different clubs. The world is your oyster here and let yourself find the path that works best for you.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experiences related to your education?
Georgia Tech is a rigorous institution, but at the end of the day, your fellow peers make the experience so much fun along the way. Make time for your friendships and meet those around you as having a support system helped me so much throughout my time here.