Ben Crowninshield

Ben Crowninshield is a transfer mechatronics engineering major from Arlington Heights, IL

Hometown: Arlington Heights, IL

Class of: Spring 2024

Transfer from: Harper College

Why did you choose to attend NIU?
I decided to attend NIU because of its affordability and because it is one of only a few colleges in the nation offering a mechatronics engineering degree

What scholarships did you receive and why did you receive them? How has the financial support impacted your experience at NIU?
I received the ETAS Endowed Scholarship (PDF), the OMRON Electronics Scholarship (PDF) and the TD Scholarship (PDF) due to my financial need and good academic standing.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you pursuing that as a major, or have you taken another path?
Growing up, I always wanted to work in the space industry, designing and building robotic systems such as satellites and rovers. Today, I am pursuing a degree in mechatronics engineering to work toward this dream.

What is your major (and/or minor) and why did you decide on this course of study?
I am majoring in mechatronics engineering with minors in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. I chose to pursue mechatronics engineering because it offers an interdisciplinary curriculum that allows me to study topics from electrical, mechanical and computer science engineering within a single degree. Furthermore, it is a degree in high demand, especially with intelligent robotic systems becoming more prevalent.

What has been something you have found pleasantly surprising about your experience at NIU?
I found the amount of activities to do around campus to be pleasantly surprising. There is always some kind of event happening somewhere on campus that anyone can participate in.

How have you connected with other students to study for classes, meet new people or form new friendships?
I have connected with other students primarily through the student organizations I participate in. I found that getting involved in an organization is a great way to meet people with similar interests.

Are you involved in any student organizations, mentoring programs or extra-curricular activities? If so, which ones? How have they added to your experience as a Huskie?
I am involved in Robotics Club, Mars Rover and Engineers Without Borders. Being involved in these student organizations has added to my experience as a Huskie by enabling me to develop as an engineer beyond my courses. Additionally, some of my most memorable college experiences happened within these organizations.

What NIU offices, departments or resources have helped you feel safe, supported and successful? And how?
Career Services has helped me be successful by providing me with useful advice as I get closer to graduating.

Are there transfer-specific resources, offices or services that you use to help you succeed at NIU?
The Academic Advising Center helped me greatly when I first transferred to NIU. They helped me decide what degree I wanted to pursue and plan out my remaining classes.

Who has been one of your favorite instructors/professors and why? What course did they teach?
Dr. Peter Lin is one of my favorite professors. He teaches many of the mechatronics engineering courses at the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology. I particularly enjoyed his Intro to Robotics and Automation class, which got me interested in automated systems. Dr. Lin was also helpful in offering valuable advice for my course projects and my capstone project.

How have you benefited by attending class regularly?
Attending class regularly has benefited me by giving me the opportunity to ask questions when concepts confuse me.

Where is your favorite spot on campus or in the community? Why are you drawn to it?
My favorite spot on campus is in the Engineering Building, room 254. I’m drawn to it because it is where my clubs meet to work on projects. Due to that, I always associate that room with the work I have accomplished.

What advice would you give to a student who is researching colleges to apply to?
My advice for a student researching colleges to apply to would be to explore the events, activities and extracurricular opportunities the college offers beyond the degree they are pursuing. The student organizations, football games and college events I took part in at NIU were the highlights that made my college experience both enjoyable and memorable.

Why is a college education important to you?
A college education is important to me because it will make me a more valuable and knowledgeable engineer. A college education will equip me with the skills and information necessary to pursue a higher-level occupation, while also allowing me to increase my knowledge in a subject I am passionate about.

What strategies do you use to manage your time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family?
To manage my time, I maintain an up-to-date calendar and utilize to-do lists to prioritize my responsibilities

How do you stay informed about events and services that are available on campus?
I stay informed about events and services available on campus through the college’s newspaper, the Northern Star, and weekly email updates like the Weekly Scroll.

What do you do to relax or recharge?
To relax and recharge, I like to watch movies and TV. Watching something allows me to turn off my mind for a bit and recover from the day I had.

Please tell us about your job and hobbies.
A hobby of mine is building DIY projects I find online. I particularly enjoy taking on projects related to robotics and cosplay. At the moment, I am building a life-size R2-D2 droid from Star Wars, complete with systems for movement and lights. Another hobby of mine is 3D printing. I like to find models online or design my own in SolidWorks to print out. Currently, I have two printers, which allows me to print a lot.

Is there anything else you'd like to share about your NIU Huskie story?
I'm involved in a lot of engineering student organizations that I could talk about. I also have a lot of interesting engineering projects I have worked on over the past few years that may be worth mentioning.