[Y HMC?] with Lupe Quirarte

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The next guest featured in our [Y HMC?] series is Mudd junior, Guadalupe Quirarte. Lupe is a joint physics-math major originally from Bellflower, a mere 45 minute drive from Harvey Mudd (contingent on traffic, of course). Guadalupe always liked STEM subjects in high school and she thought she might major in something like biomedical engineering in college.

Lupe first heard about Mudd her junior year through college counselors and was able to experience it first-hand during the FAST program. She was introduced to Mudd’s demonstrated effort to educate students both in STEM and on the impact of their work beyond STEM. She learned about how the liberal arts education at Mudd would give her room to study subjects in the humanities, such as history and art. These characteristics revealed to her how Mudd was well rounded, one of the main reasons why she chose to come here.

Guadalupe Quirarte

Guadalupe Quirarte, class of 2020

The curriculum at Mudd was a match for Lupe, but there were also non-academic factors, too. Lupe was ultimately deciding between Mudd and an east coast school. She visited both schools in the spring and admits that the weather at each school contributed to her final decision. The financial aid that Mudd awarded her played a role in her decision, as well.

Now Lupe is in her third year here and some of her favorite parts of Mudd are the non-academic aspects of her experience. She emphasizes the importance and value of the community here, including the people, the different organizations and clubs, and the opportunity for connecting with professors. She appreciates the small class sizes and says that once you declare your major, the opportunities to get close with professors and other students become even greater.

Lupe has been on Prof Lynn’s research team for two years now and worked at LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) this past summer. This upcoming summer she will be working at NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) in Washington, D.C.

Fun fact: before coming to Mudd, Lupe had only taken one physics class during her senior year of high school. She advises prospective students that it’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do and it’s also okay to not know if a place is the perfect place for you.