BCoE Student Hall of Fame 2025: Karime Alonso Ixtepan

What is your name, age, classification and major?
My name is Karime Alonso Ixtepan. I am 21 years old and a senior studying Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering.

What year did you begin studying at MSU, and when is your expected graduation date?
I began studying at MSU in August 2021, and my expected graduation date is May 2025.

Why did you choose to attend MSU, and why did you choose an engineering field of study?
I chose to attend MSU because as soon as I stepped on campus, the energy felt so welcoming. I knew I would be comfortable and safe being myself here, and MSU became my second home for the past four years. As a senior in high school, I had a passion for the environment and enjoyed math and science classes, so I chose to study Environmental Engineering. By then, I knew I wanted to attend MSU, and I saw that its Environmental Engineering program was within the School of Civil Engineering, so I decided to major in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering.

What are your favorite campus organizations you have become a part of?
I have enjoyed being involved with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the Society of Hispanic Engineers (SHPE), as well as serving as a Bagley College of Engineering Ambassador and MSU Roadrunner. Additionally, this year (my senior year), I got more involved with MSU’s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). I wish I had known to get more involved with ASCE earlier on, but I have enjoyed my short time with them and being involved in some of the symposium competitions. All these organizations have complemented each other and made me grow into a well-rounded person and engineer.

What has been your favorite course you have taken at MSU and why?
My favorite course at MSU is Open Channel Hydraulics because taking that course was the first time I started to feel like an engineer. Through this class, I started to see how the basic concepts taught in previous courses started to merge into their applicability in engineering design and real-life projects. It was also my first class taught by Dr. Ramirez-Avila, who is our SHPE advisor, so I think through this class and all my questions during his office hours about homework and projects, he became more of a mentor figure for the remainder of my college career.

Which course has been your most challenging at MSU and why? What was something you learned about yourself after taking that course?
The most challenging course I have taken at MSU is Environmental Engineering Issues because it was the first class in the Civil and Environmental Engineering curriculum that I had no prior knowledge of the concepts taught in the class. I took that class in the Fall semester of my sophomore year, so up to then, I had only had prerequisite classes such as calculus or chemistry, where I knew the basics from high school, so jumping into Environmental Engineering Issues felt daunting at the time. While the class did have its challenges, it was through that class that I learned how important it was to create connections with other Civil Engineering students. I was a fairly reserved person my first year at MSU, so I had not made many friends in my classes up to then; however, once I stumbled upon many concepts I did not understand, I decided to talk to a few girls who sat around me and asked if they knew what was going on. Some had an idea, and some others were lost, but we all exchanged phone numbers and started reaching out to each other for help if we did not understand something in the class or in the homework. After creating those connections, we all started to do better in the class and understand what was going on. From that point, those became some of my best classmates throughout my college career, and I owe much of my success to them. I could not have been as involved in external activities without their support. They are the reason I try to tell any prospective student to make connections as soon as possible in their classes because even if you think you can get an engineering degree alone – which my first-year self did for some reason – learning how to work with people, as well as answering and asking questions to figure out a concept between peers are skills much needed in the engineering industry.

What is one thing you have learned related to engineering during your time at the Bagley College of Engineering?
Engineering is more relevant to the public than people think. Initially, I did not realize how many aspects of daily life are touched by engineers and how important it is for engineers to learn to communicate with the public – especially in Civil and Environmental Engineering. The work we do as engineers will have an impact on surrounding communities, no matter what industry one is in. So, I realized being a good communicator can play a pivotal role in engineering projects and getting people to understand why something is being done, as well as being a good listener to understand any concerns non-engineers may have. As engineers, sometimes we do not realize the important role we play in projects and society, so working on our communication between the public and the engineering industry would allow people to see and understand what we do – and even inspire younger people to pursue careers in engineering.

How has MSU specifically the Bagley College of Engineering, prepared you for professional life after college?
The Bagley College of Engineering has prepared me for professional life by providing a safe environment for me to grow into a well-rounded and responsible engineer. Through my involvement in organizations like the Society of Women Engineers and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, it has helped me develop confidence in my leadership and networking skills. Both organizations introduced me to great professors and mentors who have helped me grow into who I am today, and I appreciate all their advice in the past few years. Additionally, Bagley Ambassadors and MSU Roadrunners helped me improve my communication skills and become confident in who I am. All these organizations have shown me different aspects of myself, and they have all opened opportunities to meet engineering professionals I would not have met otherwise. Especially with SWE and SHPE, I hope more people see the value of these types of professional organizations and decide to support and get involved in them because they can be so fun to be in and can lead to great opportunities for students.

What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in environmental compliance as an environmental engineer in the industry. Eventually, after many years of working in the industry, I plan to become a professor and share my experiences and connections with future environmental engineering students.

What will you miss most about MSU after you graduate?
The sense of community I have found at MSU. I will miss the great friends, mentors, and mentees I have made in the past four years. All the people I have met at MSU have shaped me into who I am, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunities MSU has provided me with. The culture at MSU has been unlike any other during my 10 years living in the U.S., and I will miss all the educational opportunities MSU provided inside and outside of the classroom. And while this may sound very specific, I will miss how walkable the campus is. Living on campus for the past four years has been one of the best experiences, and I will miss being able to walk to so many places while admiring the beautiful campus. The walkability adds to the sense of community and allows me to always count on running into a friendly and kind face on campus. While I will miss all these aspects of MSU, I hope to stay connected with these wonderful people and continue building that MSU sense of community wherever I go.