Alumni Profile: Vicky Hansen, BS Chemistry ’15

Alumna Vicky Hansen discusses her future goals in our latest Alumni Profile.

More from the COS interview with Vicky Hansen

Are you currently involved in any career-related organizations?
I’m currently involved with the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), the Chemical Society of Washington (CSW), the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) DC Chapter, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE.) It is a great opportunity to learn and networking for professional development.

As a member of the COS Alumni Chapter, how do you stay involved with current students?
Being a member of the COS Alumni Chapter has been an excellent opportunity to stay involved with students, recent graduates, and professionals. As a COS alumni member, I have participated in on-campus events, such as Mason’s online networking events. It is an excellent opportunity to connect with students and alumni to share experiences, career advice and build a professional network.

What tips do you have for current undergrad and graduate students?
I encourage students to be pro-active and to always keep looking for new volunteer and internship opportunities. Students would also benefit from having a mentor in their field, joining organizations, and attending networking events to learn from professionals. Students should be passionate and advise others because they can also learn from your experiences. After all, we are a Mason family.

What’s an interesting fact about you?
I enjoy volunteering in the President’s Park Greenhouse at Mason, and assisting with hydroponic growing systems. I recently joined a volunteer program to teach kids science experiments in the D.C. metro area schools.