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Vivian Zeru

Electrical and Computer Engineering BE/MS Student

    My name is Vivian Zeru, and I go to Vanderbilt Unviersity studying Electrical and Computer Engineering as both a rising junior and a rising first-year masters student through a program called the Accelerated Graduate Program in Engineering, allowing me to graduate in May 2027 with both my Masters of Science and Bachelor in Engineering degrees! My bachelors degree focuses on Microelectronics and Embedded Computing & Cyber-Physical Systems, and I overall try to focus my work in circuit design and analysis, learning as much as I can about the creation of electronic devices. However, I also have a breath of knowledge both in and out of electrical engineering, as a lot of different aspects of the field interest me!


    I wanted to become an engineer because I have always been a creative and a problem solver. My favorite subject in primary and secondary school has always been math because I found it amazing that you can sit with a problem and craft a calculated answer that logically makes sense and is correct with patience and effort, and I have always been the type of person that will sit with a problem until I can come up with the correct answer myself and truly understand why it works.

    When I was 11, I watched YouTube videos of child prodigies that would take items that looked like garbage to some, and would create amazing products that could help the communities around them with innovation and engineering, being child inventors. Those videos inspired me to want to be able to create my own devices like them that could also change the lives of those around me in a positive way (plus, I thought that tinkering with these electronics looked very fun to create things, as I was always very creative and loved to make things).

    Before I discovered engineering, I enjoyed not only math but also to draw, paint, do calligraphy, and create things out of duct tape and craft supplies often. I think that these things make me even more suited for engineering at a young age, as I believe that being an engineer is not only one of the most logical and calculated disiplines but also one of the most creative: the opportunity to solve problems and create anything you can imagine is the foundation of being an engineer as a whole.

    Since then, I have done lots of work related to engineering. I learned over the years the importance of diversity of thought within engineering and wanted to not only be an engineer and innovator, but to serve as hope for the future generation of engineers that bring a diverse perspective to engineering, which is vital in order to make sure that the work we create as engineers helps as many different people as possible. This is why I devoted many of my high school years to being involved in Women in Science and Engineering, and I hope that as a black woman in engineering I can inspire others to follow their dreams (and to hopefully join engineering careers and STEM in general) no matter what obstacles they may face along the way!


    I hope that all of this shows you exactly how much engineering, especially electrical engineering, means to me and how impactful I hope to be through my work.


    Outside of engineering, I do many other things!
  • I learned how to swim when I was 1 year old and have competitively swam from about 7-18 years old! Now, I enjoy practicing swimming for fun when I have time.
  • I started playing violin in orchestra when I was 9 years old, and I used to be heavily involved throughout middle school and beyond. Today, I still play and perform for fun!
  • I love calligraphy, stationary, and making satisfying notes. I find it really simple, enjoyable, and relaxing to do everytime I take notes in school.
  • I go to the gym amd lift!
  • Electrical engineering is also my passion and hobby, and I tinker with Arduinos, Raspberry Pis, STM32s, etc. whenever I have time!