Geek of the Week: Kassie Hudson (Freshman, Petroleum Engineer)

Everyone at Colorado School of Mines has their own story. Some people come from far away countries, while others come from here in Golden but each one has a unique personality and reason for coming to Mines. Kassie Hudson made her way here from Texas, a place that can seem very far away and strange but she has quickly adjusted to life here at Mines.

[Oredigger]: Why did you come to Mines?
[Hudson]: Colorado School of Mines is a really good engineering school and I knew I that is what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to get out of Texas, and my dad lives in Arvada, so Mines was the only logical choice, really. It definitely helps that Mines has a great Petroleum program.

What has been your favorite class so far?
Earth and Environmental Systems was my favorite class because Professor Shorey was an awesome teacher and he made the class really interesting. When teachers are so passionate about their subject like that it just makes it so easy to listen to them and learn. I am also really interested in geology– it is part of the reason I am going into Petroleum Engineering– so that helped too.

Are you a geek and why?
Yes, because I love anime. My roommates catch me watching it all of the time when I should be doing something else, usually studying or homework. Sometimes the things you love can just be so distracting and I usually don’t feel like doing real work in the evenings.

What do you do when you happen to have a little spare time?
Spare time, what is that? We go to Mines. I can’t remember the last time I had spare time.

What is your favorite thing about Mines?
The size of the school. There aren’t fifty thousand people so it is easier to get to know people and there is a stronger community feel. When I first started here I was very overwhelmed and it seemed like too many people for even such a small school but as time has gone by, I have adjusted to it and made some really awesome friends.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
Shapeshifting, because you can be anything you want. If I decided to drop out of Mines and just become a wolf all of the time, then I could. It gives you many more options about your life. Also then I could probably be a superhero or supervillain which would be pretty cool too. I wouldn’t mind the late nights of being a vigilante because I have insomnia anyways.

What are your greatest accomplishments?
Not dying during my first year at Mines. Sometimes it feels like the stress will be the death of us all but so far I seem to be making it through intact. Just lost a little bit of my willpower and motivation. But I still have all of my arms and legs so I must be doing something right.

What are you looking forward to most during your time at Mines?
I can’t wait to get to the higher level Petroleum Engineering classes because I think that they will be really interesting. It will also be good to start getting a feel for what kind of things I will be doing in the future with Petroleum Engineering. Basically I just want to keep going at Mines and I hope that it gets really good and I’m not here too long.

If you could be dropped into any fictional universe, what would it be and why?
I would live in Westeros, the country in Game of Thrones. Direwolves, dragons, plots… what’s not to love? It would never be boring. Sometimes the extra violence is pretty good, makes life more interesting. There is never a boring day and if you do die, then it is sure to be in an interesting way. No one seems to die undramatically, so that is a bonus.

What is your best nerd moment story?
I don’t have any super remarkable memories of nerd moments. But I always feel the most nerdy when I am talking to my sister and most of the time she has no idea what I am talking about. It makes me feel really smart, and a little bit like she isn’t, but mostly is just tells me how much that I have learned in high school and here at Mines.

Do you have any plans for the future?
To continue school and someday get a job as a petroleum engineer. That is about as far as I have thought about it. I’m still just a freshman so I have a while longer to make some more concrete decisions. Who knows where I will end up? There is always a chance that those latent superhero powers will show up and I can go be a supervillain or superhero. We will just have to wait and see.

Why do you want to be a petroleum engineer?
Because I like geology and chemistry and it is a good mix of the two. Not everyone is just in it for the money. Sometimes it can be really annoying when people assume that I am into Petroleum Engineering just for the money. The money is nice but I also just genuinely find it interesting which is probably good because that is what I will be doing everyday for the rest of my life. Engineering in any form is a lot of work and I don’t think it would be worth it if I was just doing it for the money.