Our current Honors student in the spotlight is Evan Mumpower. Evan is a second-year student who is currently a Resident Assistant (RA) on one of the Honors floors in Frank Franz Hall.
Where are you from and what high school did you attend?
I'm from Columbiana, Alabama, a small town about 30 minutes south of Birmingham. I was homeschooled from five years old until I entered college. Being homeschooled did not mean that I had no social interaction, field trips, or other organized activities. My cover school--Shades Mountain Independent Church Academy, or SMICA--handled the administrative work needed, made sure that my education was in compliance with state law, and my plan of study would prepare me for college. They also planned field trips, standardized testing, and other school-related activities. I graduated from SMICA along with a class of about thirty.
What were you involved with during your high school years?
I was involved with the ACIPCO Engineering Explorer's Post freshman and sophomore years, and I was an integral part of the Oak Mountain High School BEST Robotics team junior and senior years. I fabricated parts and troubleshot and devised solutions to the robot junior year, and I was responsible for making sure the robot's parts were drafted and rendered in CAD my Senior year. We made it to nationals my junior year, and regionals my senior year! I played bass for both the youth band and for Sunday morning worship at my church. I was actively involved in drama, perfoming in at least 3 plays, including a Shakespearean comedy, and played ultimate frisbee weekly.
What is your major and class here at UAH?
I'm a second-year Mechanical Engineering student.
What are your plans after graduation?
Currently, I'm planning on getting an apartment. And a career. And a car.
What do you ultimately see yourself doing career-wise?
I would like to work in robotics. Where, only God knows.
Why did you want to be an Honors RA?
Why not? When the opportunity to apply to be an RA came up, I returned the application as soon as I could rework my resume. I was really game to work as an RA wherever I was placed, but I am very glad that I was chosen to be an Honors RA. I really want to develop a sense of community amongst Honors students, allow them to develop friendships and make connections within the Honors College and UAH as a whole; that's something I also want for myself, and I feel that is part of what motivates this desire. I love the college, class sizes, challenging course material, and there are a lot of things I wish I had known, like which sections were Honors classes, and what options are available for my Honors electives. I'm just glad that I get to field questions and put on programs that will help inform and tie into Honors classes, and it doesn't feel like a job. It's something I want to do.
What else are you involved in at UAHuntsville and off campus?
Currently, I am the Head Engineering Honors Mentor, I'm assisting CRU with a Freshman Community Group in Franz, I play bass for CRU on Tuesdays, and I'm helping out with Humans vs. Zombies, and... yup, that's it for now.
What are your thoughts on the Honors College? How has it impacted your time at UAHuntsville?
The Honors College is one of the coolest things of which I've been a part. Honors classes are both smaller and more challenging, but don't seem to take up any more time than I would have used otherwise. I've enjoyed the personal feel the classes have, and have enjoyed the opportunities to which it has exposed me. In fact, being accepted into the Honors College was one of my deciding factors for choosing UAH. Sure, they have a stellar, pardon the pun, Engineering track, but being accepted into the College was the tipping factor for my choice in where I chose to spend four-and-a-half years of my life. Yes, I said four-and-a-half. I'm a Mechanical Engineering student.
