My name is Erin Flaig and I am a 2020 graduate at the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.  I grew up about 20 minutes north of the college and enjoyed playing soccer and running track throughout my primary schooling.  I started playing the piano in the second grade and have recently taught myself a little guitar (see more details on this in my Honors Experiences!)   Currently, I have found that in my free time I really enjoy running and lifting to relieve stress.

   The main reason I decided to become an engineer is because ever since I was in elementary school I have always dreamed of designing and building roller coasters.  I love amusement parks and grew up playing Roller coaster Tycoon on my computer.  A lot of people see the future of roller coaster being "bigger and higher," but I feel like the more unique and innovative the ride experience is, the better.  I love seeing how different machines work and love thinking of different ways to do things.  Math has always been my favorite subject in school and the physics of roller coasters has always fascinated me into wanting to create my own.

    I know that my dream of being the next Walt Disney is most likely just that-- a dream.  While my co-op unfortunately does not include any major thrill rides, I've had some amazing experiences and opportunities. I've worked with mechanics in the maintenance department shadowing their repairs, designing new parts, and overseeing PM schedules. I've also had the opportunity to work in a Electronics Quality Control lab creating new fixtures, running tests, and implementing 5S standards.  For my fifth and final co-op, I was privileged to work at Thyssenkrupp Bilstein learning everything I can about the what goes in to making shocks.  I'm looking forward to seeing where life takes me after college!