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Kennedey Reiling
Iowa State University
Spring 2024

Cumulative Reflection
Coming to Iowa State, I knew I wanted to be an engineer. I spent all my childhood and
high school years working with my hands and problem-solving. I knew I wanted to be a
mechanical or electrical engineer as I entered college. I decided on electrical engineering which
leads me to today. Everything I have learned from this school has benefited me and my
professional career.
Starting at the beginning of my Electrical engineering career. The first technical course I
took was EE 201 (Electric Circuits). This class was my first experience analyzing electrical
circuits and working in circuits firsthand in my lab. I gained beginner-level knowledge that was
critical in my later courses. I learned what voltage and current are and how to solve them in
circuits using node voltage or mesh current. This class gave me the baseline knowledge I
needed to be successful in my other classes. I found this class enjoyable and took it as a sign
that I was entering the right field.
The next memorable class I took was EE 285 (Problem Solving Methods and Tools for
Electrical Engineering). This class was my first experience with coding. I learned a lot of
technical and professional skills from this class. This was the first class I faced difficulty with. At
the beginning of this course, I was enjoying it a lot. I was learning the basics of C programming.
I found the labs very interesting and rewarding. As the semester progressed, I started to
struggle with the labs. Although I was struggling, this class taught me a valuable lesson. It
taught me to ask for help when I was working. I learned how to formulate questions and get help
from my TAs and peers who were also struggling.
After EE 285, an entry-level C programming course, I took CPrE 288. This course was
one of my favorite classes I have taken during my time at Iowa State. This course is embedded
systems and is heavily lab-focused. I learned a lot about problem-solving and microcontrollers.
This class had a group project at the end of the semester. I could work in a group bigger than
myself and a lab partner. I got group work experience before going into the workforce, where
most projects are completed in a group.
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I am taking my sequence in control systems. Control systems are designing electronic
systems for robots, flight control for airplanes, self-driving cars, and large-scale manufacturing
systems. Focuses on automation and making everyday life more straightforward. My first course
in the sequence was EE 475, Automatic Control Systems. I am passionate about control
systems, so I found this class exciting and beneficial as I get closer to entering the workforce. I
learned about state space, root locus, transfer functions, PID control, and lead-lag
compensation. My biggest takeaway from this course was the use of MATLAB. MATLAB was
used in most of my core classes, but I needed to be more comfortable with it. This class taught
me how to use the functions properly and efficiently.
I have gained a lot of technical knowledge throughout my time at Iowa State. Still, I have
gained a lot of professional experience through the Co-op position with Collins Aerospace. I
worked as a manufacturing electrical engineer. This internship taught me about documentation
and organization of technical information, overall machine maintenance, and, most importantly,
failure analysis. This internship taught me how to communicate professionally to fix a problem.
My years at Iowa State are years I will never forget. I have had countless opportunities. I
am very excited to start my life and career after college. Iowa State has prepared me for what is
to come in my future.