Katherine Aristizabal Norena took her first engineering class as a senior at Lowell High School—an experience that helped her discover her passion for the hard sciences.
The daughter of Colombian immigrants, Norena told a group of students, Northeastern educators and members of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration at the kickoff of Massachusetts STEM Week, that her ongoing Northeastern education has opened doors for her.
“When it came time to think about college, I was drawn to Northeastern because of its exceptional programs in science and engineering, and the opportunity to get [real-world] experience through co-op,” Norena, a second-year engineering student at Northeastern, said. “I’m also proud to say that I’m the first person in my family to have attended college.”
Northeastern’s Boston campus hosted Baker, Lt….