When Aster Sorenson ’26 first started looking at computer engineering programs way back at the beginning of her college journey, Valparaiso University was already part of the story. A long line of family alumni and former professors, combined with the College of Engineering’s nationwide reputation, made Valpo a strong contender in Aster’s college decision.
The ultimate factor in Aster’s choice was proximity to her sister, Ellie, with whom she shares a close friendship. “My sister had been enrolled at Rose-Hulman [Institute of Technology] for two years at the time,” Aster says. “All throughout high school, I had been in the same school as my sister, and I really enjoyed that. So, when I was looking at colleges, I really wanted to be close to Ellie. That’s why I initially chose Rose-Hulman.”
About three years into Aster’s time at Rose-Hulman, her sister graduated – and she found herself looking for something different. “I realized I was an hour and a half from any major cities. My family was four hours away, and there wasn’t really anything to do except for engineering,” Aster shares. “I needed a church I felt comfortable going to, I needed things other than engineering to do, and I wanted to be able to see my parents frequently. So, I made the decision to transfer.”
Transferring meant going back to the drawing board – where Valpo was patiently waiting. “I basically pulled up a list of colleges I had applied to when I first entered college, and thought, ‘What’s a good option here?’ And there was Valpo: close to family, great engineering program, excellent spiritual life… I’ve been here for 1.25 years now,” Aster reflects.
And ever since, Aster has thrived. Her time spent working toward her computer engineering degree is coupled with on-campus involvement in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Tau Beta Pi Honor Society, and the Order of the Engineer – as well as Valpo’s faith life community.
From attending her first Candlelight worship service to being on the Chapel’s sacristy team to serving on the e-board of Beloved – a queer interfaith group on campus – getting involved in spiritual life at Valpo is an experience Aster holds close to her heart. “Being at a mixed denomination school has allowed me to reconcile my faith life with things I once thought were unreconcilable, and having excellent campus pastors to help me with that has been life-changing, in a way,” she shares. “My trajectory has changed a lot and I’ve been able to figure out a lot of things that were really important to me.”
Valpo’s welcoming community has extended to Aster’s studies as well, where she was met with a strong work-life balance, dedicated professors, and endless opportunities to work alongside her peers. In fact, the latter is one of her favorite hallmarks of the College of Engineering: cross-disciplinary collaboration. It’s a unique trait that extends from her weekly labs in the Gellersen Engineering and Mathematics Center to her intensive senior design project. “The College of Engineering very much mirrors the environment [of an internship] in that you can do all of your own stuff until you hit a wall, and then you can go to your friend and they’ll help you solve it,” she says. “Those interactions are normalized; that’s how we do work here. You’re doing your own work, of course, but collaboration is naturally a part of what we do, and it’s very supported!”
One of the biggest opportunities to bring the collaborative reality of engineering to the classroom are the college’s annual senior design projects. At the start of their senior year, Valpo engineering students are divided into groups and assigned a year-long, multidisciplinary, hands-on capstone project, wherein they’ll design, prototype, and test tangible solutions for real-world (and often local) problems. Over the course of the academic year, Aster has worked tirelessly with one other computer engineering student and four bioengineering students to create a dynamic stroke brace for a physical therapy client in Chicago.
A patient’s arm muscles may weaken after a stroke, resulting in subluxation – or dislocation of the shoulder from its socket. The goal of Aster’s senior design project is to design a brace that would pull a stroke patient’s shoulder back toward the socket – while still allowing for movement. “There are static braces already on the market. But, these are people who want to do things – make pasta, grab their coffee. Our entire project is about making a brace that pulls their shoulder back up, but also assists them so they can continue with daily tasks,” Aster explains. A data element is also in the works, which will allow patients and providers to monitor and evaluate the progression of therapy. At the project’s closing, an easily-replicated prototype will be delivered to the client.
This collaborative, multidisciplinary venture at the root of Valpo’s College of Engineering played a large role in setting Aster apart from other applicants while she was looking for post-graduation careers – an effort that came to fruition after sharing her resume with Cleveland Cliffs at Valpo’s annual career fair. It wasn’t long before Aster was invited to tour the company’s facilities. After her visit, a job offer quickly followed – and Aster excitedly accepted. “At first, I chose computer engineering because I wanted to know more about how computers worked. Now, it’s more so that the degree is so versatile. My last internship was at Milwaukee Tool developing software for internet-connected drills,” she says. “My future job at Cleveland Cliffs, a steel plant in Burns Harbor, [Indiana,] is going to be doing process automation.”
As a process control engineer, Aster will be writing algorithms for the machines that turn molten steel into multi-ton slabs ready to be shipped to customers. “It’s a very serious job,” she continues, “and I feel prepared to do it. Which is kind of crazy! … I am so excited. I can’t wait for my nine-to-five. I get to work in the steel mill and make lots of money doing heavy industry things. It’s just amazing.”
With a bright future ahead, Aster offers a few words of advice. For current Valpo students: Don’t be afraid to explore all that Chicagoland has to offer. From being able to balance appointments in downtown Chicago’s medical centers to enjoying a weekend trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, it’s as easy as driving a short distance or hopping onto the South Shore Line commuter train. “Being close to Chicago is amazing. I feel like that’s an underrated aspect of being a Valpo student,” Aster says. “The opportunities of things that are available to you in Chicagoland are huge. If you’re willing to drive an hour and 15 minutes, you can get to everything – the Shedd Aquarium, Millennium Park, Grant Park, great restaurants, and botanical gardens.”
And for students considering transferring colleges: “Think about at the end, when you’re walking across the stage with your diploma… Are you ready to enter the next chapter of your life?” Aster asks. “For me, it was clear that I wanted to end well and be prepared – not just knock off a requirement. And if you want to end that way, as a well-rounded person, I think Valpo is a great option.” Follow in Aster’s footsteps – explore Valpo’s computer engineering program, our faith life community, and support for incoming transfer students at valpo.edu/transfer.
