Karin Hanson CLASS OF '12

Freshman

Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD

Majors: Mechanical Engineering and Spanish

Minor: Math

One of freshman Karin’s biggest surprises about SDSU was how soon she could take on the leadership roles she craved. “In high school, they were always reserved for juniors and seniors,” she says. But as a freshman she has already served as secretary of both Alpha Omega Epsilon and the Society of Women Engineers. She’ll be a drum major with the Pride of the Dakotas marching band next year, and plans to continue playing flute and piccolo with the Symphonic Band.

Her classes have also far surpassed her expectations. Her current favorite: Calculus III with Dr. Anne Thompson. “We’ve covered three dimensions already; now we’re into the fourth. I had no idea you could do this kind of math!” And the summer will undoubtedly bring more surprises as Karin studies in Europe and at Princeton University before heading to Spain for the fall semester.

If it all sounds like a roller coaster ride, that’s no surprise. Karin isn’t sure what she’ll do after graduation, but becoming a Disney Imagineer is definitely a possibility: “It just wouldn’t get any better than that!”