Optical engineer Alyssa Ho ’21 is headed to Raytheon to work on space system projects.
While growing up in Denver, Alyssa Ho ’21 and her parents climbed peaks and camped at high elevations in national parks and scenic areas across the Southwest.
“I remember seeing how clear the sky was at night, just stepping outside the tent, looking at the stars, and realizing that I was looking millions of years into the past. It was just so mind-boggling,” Ho says.
Celebrate the Class of 2021!
Visit the Class of 2021 site for details about this year’s Commencement ceremonies and for a downloadable toolkit of materials to share your support on social media.
The experience instilled in her not only a deep interest in space, but also in sustainability as a way to ensure those skies remain clear for future generations. The University of Rochester and its Institute of Optics has helped her figure out which of those two paths to pursue as a career.
After graduation in May, the optical engineering major and president of the 2021 Class Council is heading to California to work as an engineer on space system projects with Raytheon Intelligence and Space. She will also pursue a master’s degree in optics remotely from the University of Arizona.
Initially, Ho came to the University planning to pursue a STEM field related to sustainability. She enrolled as a chemical engineering major.
Then, during her second semester, she took a MATLAB for Optics course.
“I found that optics was challenging me in new ways that I hadn’t been challenged before,” Ho says. “But it wasn’t just the content of the class, it was more the students who were in it. Everybody worked together so well.”
So, she switched her major to optics but continued to pursue chemical engineering and Spanish as minors.
She has not regretted that choice.
“I really like how the institute cares about its students,” Ho says. “There is constant communication. And especially during the pandemic, they have made sure that everybody was cared for, and was able to have rent and groceries, and as much social support as they could get.”
Ho has especially appreciated working with her faculty advisor, Jennifer Kruschwitz, an assistant professor of optics. “She has been fantastic,” Ho says. “It’s amazing having a female mentor in optics. If I was struggling with something, I knew I could always go to her.”
The institute’s Industrial Associates program was another plus. Twice a year, 49 top optics companies come to campus for meetings that include opportunities for students to network with company representatives.
“It was definitely intimidating the first time I walked in,” Ho says. “But once I began speaking with company representatives, I realized that we really are in demand, and we do have valuable skills, so it made me a little bit more confident.”
Through Industrial Associates, she learned about Raytheon’s space program, and how her optics training could help her pursue a career in that field.
The company flew her out for an interview and offered her an internship. “It was really awesome to be able to do that. Being in California was really nice, and the people there were a really good team,” Ho says.
“It will be great to continue working with them after graduation.”
