Meet the Social Media Interns: Serena Mao

Hey there, prospective Mudder! I’m Serena Mao from the Bay Area, California, and I’m interning for the admission office here at Harvey Mudd College this fall. Currently, even though I’m still a freshman, I’m thinking of majoring in computer science—something that may or may not change as I explore my options.

Jumping right in, Mudd allows me to do just that! The signature Core curriculum here at HMC ensures that every Mudder gets their feet wet in every STEM subject and writing, meaning every single underclassmen have to take the same chemistry, biology, special relativity, writing, math classes and more within their first two years. Not only does this give us a good sense of what subjects we might want to pursue in the future, but it also means everyone’s always working on the exact same assignments for virtually the exact same classes. 

This transitions well into another defining feature of Mudd: the collaborative environment! Coming from an ultra-competitive area, I wanted a community that worked together and supported each other, which I immediately found at Mudd. As a relatively small college, everyone feels like they matter and belong, and even better, everyone does everything together. Professors here design homework to encourage working together, and even the Honor Code is written with cooperation in mind. As a result, even when classes get hard, no one struggles alone. 

Mudd’s small size also has other perks that I didn’t realize until I got here. For one, all our residence halls are located on one end of campus, each within walking distance of each other. We don’t need to cross busy streets or walk multiple blocks to see our friends; everyone effectively lives together. To the immediate west of the dorms, we have the dining hall, and then classroom buildings along a straight, smooth path perfect for skateboarding. Conveniently, going to class or the dining hall from where I live on the east end of campus only takes a few minutes (on my skateboard, of course)!

Walking outside of HMC, I can still experience the benefits of a bigger school through the Claremont Consortium. This year, I’m taking two PE classes: dance at Pomona and karate at Claremont McKenna. That way, I can easily meet people from new schools as well as utilize the ballrooms and gyms that might be unavailable on Mudd’s campus. I’m also writing for the 5C student newspaper and hoping to join other STEM 5C clubs, which I hope will introduce me to even more new people. 

Even as a freshman, I can say for certain that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far—and can’t wait to make even more memories. And fingers crossed, you’ll be joining me here next year!