Name: Haley Couch
Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology
Hometown: East Otis, Massachusetts
Why did you choose SUNY Poly?
My senior year of high school I came to visit SUNY Poly on my way back home from another college. There wasn’t an open house or anything going on besides a normal day on campus and within half an hour of walking around campus I fell in love. I knew this was where I wanted to go.
How did you choose your major?
I’ve always wanted to “break stuff better” and I enjoy understanding how things work, especially mechanical components. The Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) program gives me a chance to understand things on a fundamental level and learn how to recreate and redesign them better as well as understand why specific failures occur. Understanding the why and understanding how to create things opens the door to so many opportunities.
What has been your best experience at SUNY Poly so far?
By far my best experience on campus has been participating in our SAE Baja team, Wildcat Motorsports. I joined the team in the second semester of my freshman year and have been a member of the team ever since. Last spring, I was elected vice-president of the team and our team captain, which has been a lot of fun.
What has been your favorite class so far and why?
My favorite class is a tie between Mechanical Components which looks at the design of various parts of mechanical systems, and Fluid Mechanics which is a lot of math in terms of looking at pressure, force and velocity in fluid systems.
What activities are you involved in on campus? Why did you decide to get involved in these activities?
I’m very involved with Baja. Baja is one of the only active clubs on campus that allows me to apply every aspect of what I know from my MET classes as well as my life experiences and create something tangible. Baja is truly a family in every sense of the world, working together as a team on the car and supporting each other however we can when we’re not working on the car.
What is your favorite thing about being a part of the SUNY Poly community?
My favorite thing about the SUNY Poly community is that the community is as large as you make it. You can interact with just a core group of friends and have an awesome experience or get involved with everything and have an equally awesome experience. Poly is what you make it to be.
What are your future plans after you graduate from SUNY Poly?
After graduation I’m hoping to find a career in the R&D field, hopefully Automotive R&D because that will truly combine all of my passions and experiences.