Geek of the Week: Ashley Young, Senior, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Do you consider yourself a geek?
Well, I am definitely a band geek. And I’m probably an all-around geek too, because I like things like calculus and public policy.

What is the geekiest thing you own?
I have a large costume closet because I like to dress up, especially for McBride presentations. I have safari and mafia outfits and home-made pirate costumes. Also, I kept my AP Government study guide that I wrote in high school to study for the test.

What is the geekiest thing you’ve ever seen or done?
I’ve memorized the first 25 digits of Pi. I can solve a Rubik’s cube in less than 3 minutes. And I know all the US and European capitals.

What is your favorite formula?
IN – OUT + NET GEN = ACCUMULATION, because it applies to everything.

Why did you decide to come to Mines?
I was looking for a small school where I could get inpidualized attention from the teachers but still be involved in a lot of clubs.

What clubs and activities are you a part of at Mines?
I’m President of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and Vice President of the student body. I’m a leader in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and a member of Blue Key, SWE, and AiChE. I play clarinet in the band and I played the piano in the musical. I’m also in the McBride Honor’s Program and I’m a Tier 3 representative of the board of student organizations. And I’m an ambassador/intern in the admissions office.

What are your hobbies?
I like to play piano and I like to take naps.

What has been your favorite class at Mines?
U.S. public policy. It’s a McBride class that I took for fun. We got to go to Washington, DC, to meet legislators and see Capitol Hill. We also did a city council simulation in the actual city council chambers in Golden. Government is something I’m really interested in. In the future I would like to run for a US senate position and possibly the US president.

What has been you least favorite class at Mines?
There are two at the bottom of my list. Physical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Reaction Kinetics. I didn’t really understand anything in those classes. I hate particle in a box and I think that PBRs (packed bed reactors) should not exist.

If you could have one super power what would it be?
There are so many ethical consequences of choosing a super power, I don’t know what I would pick.

What technology could you not live without?
My cell phone, even though I don’t have texting, and my GPS, because I have a horrible sense of direction.

If you could meet any scientist, dead or alive, who would it be?
Marie Curie, because she was a strong, independent female scientist.

What’s your favorite book of all time?
My favorite summer reading book is Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. But I really like Pride and Prejudice and the Redwall series. And I’m a big fan of The Lord of the Rings. Just the books though. I refuse to see the movies on grounds that they might contaminate them.

What’s your favorite movie?
“Pirates of the Caribbean” or anything with Hugh Grant…

Who is your role model?
Colin Powell, because he never compromised his values but still had a passion for what he does and I respect people like that.

What has been your greatest life experience?
Marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Ireland when I was in high school, and just college in general. I think I’ve grown a lot as a person.

What was your most embarrassing moment?
In October I gave myself a concussion by opening the metal door of the Student Center into my head.

What do you love best about Mines?
That there are over 140 organizations that I can be involved in. Last night I spent 3 hours emailing just for Tau Beta Pi.

If you could add a class at Mines what would it be?
Elementary art, which has to include how to make edible play dough and have lots of free snacks.

What are you most looking forward to about the summer?
Finishing field session and graduating. Oh yeah, and I’m getting married.

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