Courtney Harris

Courtney  Harris

Why did you choose Michigan Tech?

When I toured I was immediately drawn to the campus. Tech is a top engineering school with a small close-knit campus and a lot to do outdoors. I fell in love, and the snow was just a bonus.

Tell us about a memorable experience you had with a class or about a favorite professor?

Ever since touring I have been fascinated by the Greenhouse Dome on campus between ChemSci and the MEEM. As a first-year, I wondered what major I would have to be in order to go inside and see what all is growing. As my college career went on, I admired from afar, still wondering if I'd ever get to see the inside. It looked like paradise while I walked past in the cold winter months. Then, senior design came around. My group chose a project  designing a technical and business solution for growing vegetables year round in Houghton. Little did I know that while researching greenhouses and best practices, I would finally get to tour the greenhouse dome. My team set up a meeting with the keeper. So finally, on a chilly October night, we were welcomed into the 72 degree oasis. I was in awe. Walking around looking at over 180 different plants, I almost forgot why I was there in the first place! After gawking at the orchid that had just bloomed and playing with the Venus fly traps, I had checked an item off my bucket list.

Now, how about a memorable experience outside of class?

As a member of Michigan Tech Student Foundation (MTSF), we have a yearly tradition of going to Uncle Ron, the founder's, house for an end of the year party. Most years it is still cold outside, so we enjoy hanging out inside and playing Skittles, but one year we were graced with warm weather in April. As we were sitting on the back porch enjoying the sun, we heard some rustling in the tree above us. We all looked up and saw a beautiful bald eagle sitting on a branch 30 feet above our heads. Everyone dug out their camera phones and started taking pictures. Chatting about how amazing it was, we soon realized that, out on the lake by some holes in the ice, were six more eagles! What an amazing place to go to school and see such wonders in nature so close to you. 

Why did you choose to become a member of the Board of Directors?

To provide a valuable student perspective. Being the MTSF Student Representative has allowed me to bring ideas to the Board as well as talk to students about all of the cool things our Alumni are doing to help us.

Provided by Courtney Harris, October 3, 2016