Hello my name is Michael Kraus and I am an undergraduate student studying mechanical engineering. I am from Fort Lauderdale, and I went to Saint Thomas Aquinas high school where they challenged us and made me feel very prepared for college. One of my favorite classes was my first true engineering class, Statistics taught by Dr. Zaurin who really prepared us. I wanted to be a STEM Ambassador to inspire future college students. I want to encourage students to pursue a degree related to STEM because of its wide variety of pathways to learn and grow a career out of. By sharing my passion for engineering, I hope to inspire others to look into STEM degrees. If I could give some advice, it would be to join the EXCEL program. It is a great environment to grow in offering research and advantages for incoming freshmen especially if you are someone who needs extra help with STEM classes. I would also recommend participating in freshman events at the beginning of the year. It really is a great experience. I also recommend taking advantage of the amenities and events that take place nearly every week on campus, especially if they are giving away free t-shirts. I truly enjoy the environment here at UCF and it is very easy to find a group to fit in with.