Caroline Leng
Innovation
Caroline is a student in the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology (M&T), the oldest coordinated dual degree program at Penn. M&T is a unique, interdisciplinary program where students concurrently pursue a degree from Penn Engineering and a degree from the Wharton School. The M&T program shows Caroline how to integrate engineering and business concepts, and how this intersection distinctively shapes our world. Caroline loves to create and invent, and she is energized by the positivity of the students in the program. The challenges of pursuing both degrees inspire her to continue to reflect on her goals for her future. She dreams of being an entrepreneur and is sure that the lessons she’s learning at Penn will help keep her motivated.
Systems and Technology
In college, Caroline has had the freedom to explore things she didn’t have opportunities to experience in high school. Before Penn, she had no experience with robotics or any of the other high school clubs typically associated with engineering and technology. For Caroline, her time at Penn has been a unique opportunity to step outside of her comfort zone. Her motto has been, “Why not? I might as well try.” This perspective led her to join Penn Electric Racing, where she is getting hands-on experience with electrical engineering concepts that are helping her to advance in her academic work. Caroline and the rest of the electric car building team travel to races in the U.S. and Canada, where they see how their car’s unique features stack up in competition against the ingenuity of other teams.
Athletics and Recreation
Playing volleyball on Penn’s Division One team is a big focus for Caroline. Her commitment to the team shapes almost every day of her week, and sometimes her workouts mean her day begins as early as 6 a.m. During the volleyball season, her team plays two games against different Ivy League teams every Friday and Saturday, a challenging schedule to balance with the demands of her M&T coursework. She has learned to make the most of her time in and out of the classroom. She remains energized by the fun of getting a great workout with her teammates who have become good friends, especially on Fridays during the off-season when the whole team does kickboxing together.
Philadelphia
Caroline wants to pass along the motivation she’s received at Penn, so she became a writer for unEarthed Magazine, a Penn publication that aims to stimulate the minds of middle and elementary school students in West Philadelphia. Encouraging curiosity about science, math, and technology is an important way for Caroline to feel connected to the city and to share the academic interests that she loves so much.