Student Spotlight

A few years ago, just outside of Washington DC in Herndon, Virginia, Emily Quan decided to travel across the country to attend BYU. From a young age, her parents encouraged her to study engineering, but it was in high school that she discovered the passion for it herself. After taking classes that involved programming and robotics, Emily found that she was interested in learning how people work with digital and hardware systems. It wasn’t long before she decided to study computer engineering and now is approaching her final year in the program.

While many students go into engineering because they’re most interested in the process and understanding how things work, Emily is part of the group that is more intrigued with the application of engineering principles. More than anything, she wants to understand how to use the principles and skills she’s learning to help make people’s lives better in a direct way. “I think that’s an important mindset to have in engineering because it can be really easy to get caught up in the technicalities,” she says. While Emily doesn’t have a specific direction she wants to take her degree in after she graduates, she is interested in working on improving the protection of internet structures with cybersecurity and public policy.

While Emily enjoys engineering, she continues to develop her talents and abilities in music. Currently she is working as a ballet accompanist for the dance department at BYU, and loves every second of it. She has been playing the piano for sixteen years and this job gives her a unique opportunity she normally doesn’t get to enjoy. Emily gets to choose whatever song she wants, from classical music to The Office theme song, as long as it fits the ballet exercise. “Every day is different, every class is different, so it’s a creative exercise every time,” Emily says. “You get to choose what you’re playing, but you have to make sure it best matches the dancers and helps them grow.” Emily enjoys the differences between playing for the dance classes and practicing for a recital as well as having a break from the engineering curriculum.

While on her mission in Mongolia, Emily was able to help with a project that deployed air quality sensors in one of her areas. After returning home, she wanted to continue working on the project and be more involved in the technical side of things. She started working with Professor Lundrigan, who was involved with the project. She analyzed air quality data from those sensors until the project ended. Now she works with a PhD student trying to come up with a way to help people and governments know that the air quality data they use from the internet is trustworthy and accurate.

When it comes to classes, Emily highly recommends that everyone should consider doing the honors program. One of her favorite classes in the honor’s program is called the Great Questions. Students taking the class come up with a broad question that intrigues them such as ‘why do people smile’, and the rest of the semester they research and write an extended essay about it. While students don’t have to find an answer by the end, the exploration of what the question means in different disciplines and fields opens the minds of students. In Emily’s opinion, it makes them better people in the end.

Emily has a desire to make sure everyone has a voice and a place they feel accepted and can grow. This has made her an avid advocate for minorities within the College of Engineering. When asked what the student body can do to create a better environment for everyone, she didn’t hesitate to give her advice. “I think a lot of people are afraid of having difficult conversations or talking about issues with other students,” she says. “But if people are willing to start these conversations and be willing to listen and learn, then we can make this a better place for minorities and those who feel like they don’t belong.” Emily talked about how people are worried about offending others, but felt strongly that most won’t be offended if everyone is willing to learn and talk. “I feel like there are a lot of conversations within engineering that we could and should start that would be really valuable to making everyone feel welcome.”

One of the main focuses in her life is helping other people. From her music to her degree and interactions with others, Emily seeks to lift those around her. We’re grateful that she is part of our student body.