Meet the Tour Guides: Kaya

The machine shop is used a lot by engineers on campus, but is open to everyone! Photo credit: HMC Machine Shop

Hello! My name is Kaya and I’m a junior engineering major at Mudd. I originally heard about Harvey Mudd because my mom went to another one of the Claremont colleges, but growing up all I knew about Mudd was that it was the STEM school of the Claremont colleges. Once I visited, I realized there was so much more to the school than just science classes and nerds (but we do have those too).

One aspect of Mudd that was important to me when picking a college was the emphasis on breadth of knowledge. The core really intrigued me because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, but I knew I wanted to study something in a STEM field. I found the core really interesting and I’ve appreciated taking classes that I may not have gotten a chance to take at another school. Another way Mudd emphasizes breadth is through the humanities, social sciences, and arts requirements. When picking a college it was important to me that I would still be able to take humanities classes while being a STEM major. At Mudd, it’s not just possible, it’s encouraged.

Since coming to campus freshman year I have learned a lot more about Mudd and its culture. One thing that particularly surprised me was the overarching impact of the honor code. The honor code is not a specific set of rules, but a guiding principle that can be boiled down to “Don’t be a jerk.” I was surprised how this simple idea translated into how people live their lives on campus. The honor code gives us the freedom of take-home tests and allows us to feel comfortable leaving our skateboards outside and unlocked during classes. I find the honor code really important because it gives us a strong sense of community on campus.