2020 Grad Spotlight: Lauren Chapey

For commencement week, we’re featuring some of the students from the SEAS Class of 2020. Today, we feature Lauren Chapey, who majored in Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science:

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?

Prioritize the people who are important to you. Your academic and extracurricular experiences are what have brought you to Yale, and you should continue to strive in those areas. But what you will remember most after four years is not the grades or the awards, but the people you spent your time with. Cherish those friends and always make sure you show them how much they mean to you.

Also, adjusting to college is difficult in so many ways-- academically, socially, and everything in between. Don't let the struggles of freshman year limit you! You're going to have failures, but that's totally fine as long as you get back up and keep trying. Lastly, sleep is a magical thing.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I'll be working as a consultant at New Markets Advisors in Boston. 

If you were to pick one thing that you most enjoyed about your time at Yale, what would it be?

The truly most enjoyable part of Yale was the time I spent with my dearest friends, whether at practice or late nights in the CEID working on problem sets with my classmates or in the buttery with my suitemates. Quarantining for the majority of my senior spring semester has really highlighted how important the support of my peers has been to my college experience. If I had to pick one thing, I would say the time spent with my teammates at practices and meets, as well as post-practice dinners and brunches, are my most cherished memories.