Meet Alissa Huang, a member of the Goodnight Scholars Class of 2027 and a Nuclear Engineering major. In this Q&A, Alissa shares her experiences, passions, and the lessons she’s carrying forward in college and beyond.

1.   What has been the most impactful college experience you’ve been a part of so far?

The Goodnight Scholars Fall Break Washington DC Trip! It was many firsts for me. Not only was it my first trip with Goodnight, but also my first trip without my family and going with Goodnight Scholars I didn’t know that well. To say the least, I was a little nervous. However, the trip ended up being one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences I’ve had yet! Not only did the trip make me closer with my fellow Goodnights and the Goodnight Pro-staff that lead the trip, but it also taught me a lot about taking a trip and being a professional. The little details like finding dining options, coordinating as a group, navigating an unfamiliar city, and professional development items like how to present yourself professionally. There were also fun things, like doing an escape room! It was a very personally and professionally enriching experience, and I look forward to going on another Goodnight Trip in the future!

2. Your major is Nuclear Engineering. What kind of work do you hope to do ten years down the road?

The plan is to work in the nuclear energy industry! I went into nuclear engineering because nuclear energy is such an interesting topic for me and has had my interest since elementary school; so I want to go into a career where I can work with nuclear power plants, whether that be operation, manufacturing, or regulation. I also want to do public outreach about nuclear energy. A lot of the reason I’m so interested in nuclear is that the surrounding fear was dispelled early for me. I would love to have chances to interact with the general public and K-12 students and talk to them about the nuclear energy industry and answer any questions they have. Nuclear energy is super interesting and an amazing low-carbon energy source! I want more people to benefit from it and be less scared of it!

3. What is your favorite part about being a STEM Coach through GSP?

Working with fellow Goodnights! It’s great to be able to meet other people in the program while also working together to bring STEM activities to children. It’s also been a great way to improve my communication skills and learning how to work as a group and with children. Kids are wild, and my experience as a math tutor only prepared me half as well as I hoped. But I’ve found the experience very enjoyable and beneficial, and look forward to continuing as a STEM Coach!

4. What does service mean to you, and how have you embodied this in your college experience?

Service to me means being willing to help, even if it’s something unrelated to you or out of your way. A lot of life for me has been keeping to myself and minding my own business, but that has kept me isolated for a lot of my life. When I became a Goodnight Scholar, I wanted to dedicate my time to being willing to help. For me, that has looked like helping answer questions classmates have in class even when not addressed, volunteering for events around campus that find their way to me, and becoming a STEM Coach. If I have an opportunity to help out the people around me, even if it’s answering a homework question or pledging my time to make an event successful or helping someone carry stuff, I’ll take it. That’s what service means to me, and it’s how I’ve been giving back to the community.

5. How has your perspective on leadership evolved during your time in college?  

You know how as a kid, leadership was defined as being the person in charge of ordering people around?  My experiences in college have definitely shown me that that is not the only definition of leadership. For me, leadership has been mainly about taking initiative. Oftentimes, that first message or step in a group project or activity is the hardest and scariest part for everyone in the group. Taking a lead and breaking the ice is what makes a leader. Also, being able to listen to the group and manage conflict and delegate tasks are aspects of a leader. So no, leadership is not about complete tyranny like child-me thought, it’s more about being the person who has the courage to start and take on the responsibility to keep everyone going until the end.

6. Do you have a philosophy or motto that guides how you navigate life?

A philosophy that has gotten me through a lot has been that everything seems scary and hard, until you’ve learned about or done it, and then it’s just another Tuesday. I’m a pretty anxious person, which makes it hard for me to try new things or tackle new environments without significant stress. However, I’ve found that once I get past that barrier of first interaction, nothing is as scary as I initially thought. This often meant that I would have to muster up the courage and commit to going to an event, like a club meeting, for the first time, because I know it would be worth it and I would create new connections. This also applies to academics.  I’ve been told repeatedly that nuclear engineering is very hard, and that scares even the most academically confident person. But, I went into it with the thought that “of course it seems scary now when I don’t know what it’s about, could entail, or even what I need to know.” I just believed that my professors and courses will teach me all I have to know and prepare me for whatever comes. I can confirm that now finishing my sophomore year in Nuclear Engineering, the things that confused me or scared me at the start, like quantum tunneling, no longer scare me. I just had to take that first step and not let the fear of the unknown stop me from making an effort.