Hi! My name is Amanda Sporleder Straatmann and I’m a Sophomore Mechanical Engineering major at UCF! I’m originally from Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil and moved to America in 2017. I’ve lived in Orlando ever since and would honestly consider myself a local as I graduated from Freedom High School. My favorite class I’ve taken at UCF so far is both semesters of Intro to Engineering as they helped me realize that I have in fact chosen the right major. I had so much fun taking those classes and getting to take on projects that are both challenging academically but also enjoyable. My favorite professor so far has been Dr. Alvaro Islas for Calculus 2, since his class is small and 4 times a week and he takes time to get to know us. I decided to get involved with WiSTEM because as a woman in my field I always seem to seek other women in STEM so we can create a safe space for ourselves and help each other succeed. Realizing I’m the only girl in a full class (which has happened to me before) can seem scary at first but it’s a fun challenge to take on and extra rewarding when the success comes. With that being said, I always do try to unite with other girls that have had similar experiences and WiSTEM is the perfect club to make those connections. I expect to be able to share my own experiences and pass on what I’ve learned but also to learn from other girls. Meeting new people has always been one of my favorite things in life as an extrovert and that’s exactly what this program is providing me.

Although school is a huge part of my life, that I do in fact enjoy, I also have a healthy social life balance. I’ve always loved Disney and work there now in the Magic Kingdom! I love going to the parks on my days off, especially EPCOT. I also really enjoy going to the movies. As an AMC A-lister, I try to catch as many movie premieres as I can, especially if it’s a Marvel movie! I never miss those as I am a huge fan of the MCU and comic books. And no one can get me through life like Taylor Swift and her wide range of songs. She always seems to have a song for everything I’m feeling and listening to her music has become an essential part of who I am.