Hanzelle Kleeman: "The ability to work with a diverse and experienced group has been invaluable and I am excited by how much progress is made each day."

Why did you choose to come to Mines? What have you enjoyed most about being here?

When deciding which undergraduate university to attend, I was focused on finding a community in which hard work, integrity and success were the norms. Discussions with current students and alum from Mines made me confident that I would find that here. Mines has proved the perfect fit. Not only do I have the privilege of participating in a rigorous engineering program that works closely with industry, but also the privilege of knowing my impressive peers.

Tell us about something you're working on right now that you find exciting, fulfilling or challenging.

The Engineering Grand Challenges program at Mines focuses on several different components of problem-solving that are interesting to me. Currently, I am working on the entrepreneurship component. This portion has been particularly fulfilling and exciting because I am expanding my skill set to actually begin to envision taking all my theoretical knowledge and applying it towards the development of practical solutions.

Have you done an internship or co-op or been in a professional job while at Mines? Tell us who you worked for and what you were doing. What stands out?

I am currently completing a co-op with Ball Corporation's Global Engineering Team. So far, I have had the opportunity to be involved in cross-regional and cross-departmental initiatives. The ability to work with a diverse and experienced group has been invaluable and I am excited by how much progress is made each day.

What communities, groups or organizations—on- and off-campus—are important to you and why?

I dedicate most of my time to student government, undergraduate research, Pi Beta Phi, club tennis and professional societies. My participation in these activities has been vital to my personal and professional growth—they’ve helped me identify my boundaries and push them. A good example is student government. Public speaking has never been my strongest skill, but since it’s something I needed to do over and over again as part of student government, I have become much more comfortable. Equally as important are the connections I have made through these organizations. Building relationships with peers and professors have been invaluable to my experiences at Mines and will likely be invaluable to my experiences after graduation.

What are your plans for the future? What's your dream job?

My dream job will put me in a position to serve my global community. I want to expand my technical skillset as quickly as possible and then apply it to one of the Engineering Grand Challenges. While I am not exactly sure how I will achieve this, I am confident that the education, experiences and connections I've gained at Mines will open many doors.

What would you tell someone interested in joining your academic program or Mines in general?

Whenever I am talking with a prospective student, I become very excited and a little jealous. Mines has so much to offer and a new student still has a few years to take advantage of all those opportunities. If I had one piece of advice to give to incoming students, it would be to make the most of their time here. There is no reason to wait until next semester to join the dance team or next year to start research. Whatever students are interested in doing, they should do it now.

What's your favorite thing to do outside of class and coursework? How do you unwind, manage stress, find fulfillment, etc.?

Outside of class, I typically play tennis or spend time with friends. An hour spent on the court or playing a card game helps me recenter and manage stress.