Attending a student shadow day at MSOE where she spent time with a student to simulate a day in the life at college, Yadira Chariez Neave was convinced that MSOE was the place she wanted to attend post high school.

“Even though I had a full-ride scholarship to UW-Milwaukee, I still chose to attend MSOE for its small class size as I strongly believe having a small class size helps a lot in having a student-professor connection along with a better relationship with your peers,” said Neave. “I also loved the home/community feeling MSOE has.”

Initially starting as a computer science major, Neave switched gears at the end of her freshman year to user experience as she wanted to focus on human-centered solutions for digital landscapes, something that impacts everyone in their daily lives. 

“Something that truly defines me is my passion for always wanting to grow as a person, either professionally or personally, this is one of the reasons why I chose user experience as my major: to help users have a better experience with their products. As a user experience designer, I find ways to improve products or websites so the user has a better experience using them.”

That same human-centered approach has come in handy in her position as a CREATE Student Fellow with MSOE’s CREATE Institute. She works in the Nelson Prototype Lab (NPL) and supports those who come to utilize the space for a variety of reasons, whether it’s for projects or as a creative outlet.  

“I love helping students find the materials they need for their projects and assisting them in whatever I can. It always makes me happy when students who are new to the NPL space find out all the materials they can use and I start seeing them at the NPL space more often.” 

Neave first was exposed to the CREATE Institute at the same student shadow day she attended as a high school senior. She was shown around by a student who was at that time a CREATE Fellow. 

“After I joined MSOE, I visited the NPL at least twice per month as I love doing crafts, so of course, when I found out CREATE was hiring for the upcoming year I didn’t have to think twice about applying as this would be a dream come true!”

In addition to being a CREATE Fellow, she is member of MSOE’s Carter Academy, a program designed for first- and second-year students to build resources and help them with their transition to college. As a sophomore, she is currently in her last year of the living-learning community but is thankful for all the opportunities and community that the Carter Academy has provided. Neave is also the secretary of the Art & Design Club on campus, member of Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and is involved with Multicultural Affairs where she helps organize an event called “la mesa de Español.”

With her other free time, she enjoys creating pipe cleaner flowers, painting and crafting, listening to music, dancing and being with friends and family. Neave is also a lover of nature and whenever she can tries to enjoy a sunset or be anywhere outdoors to recharge and find inspiration. She is originally from Zacatecas, Mexico.