Design Your Future Day is loads of fun! You'll meet new people and get to do hands-on engineering and science. Here's what alums and their parents have to say about Design Your Future Day:

• I think the program was wonderful. I didn't know much about it until this year and I am very impressed. I wish I had an opportunity like this when I was in High School, although I'm sure you hear that all of the time. I only volunteered during the lunch session but had a chance to speak with a number of high school girls and a few parents. The girls had a few questions about the social aspect of RPI and the parents had a million questions about everything else. I think that Design your Future Day is an invaluable tool that will help these young women with some very important upcoming decisions. I would like to be more deeply involved next year, so feel free to contact me when the time comes for volunteers.
  
  — Emily Wheeler ’08, Chemical Engineering Major
  
  
• Thank you for a wonderful day.  The students were so impressed by the presentations and the discussions.  The day was well organized and very motivating for my young women.  The discussion on the way home mostly concerned the information and suggestions shared by the panelists at lunch.  My only suggestion would be that the panel discussion that the adults saw in the morning session also be shared with the girls.  It was also impressive and exciting.  Again, thank you.  Please contact us next year.  I couldn't have a better way to spend my Saturday!
  
  — Shirley Thompson, Science Chairperson at Middletown High School, Middletown, NY
  
  
• My daughter, Catherine, and I had the opportunity to attend Rensselaer's "Design Your Future Day" this weekend.  I can appreciate the effort which goes into planning and organizing such an event and I want to thank you for an enjoyable and informative program.  Catherine thought the sessions she attended were as much fun as they were educational.  Michael, our tour guide, was terrific and left Catherine with a very favorable opinion of RPI as well as it's students. The highlight of the program for me was the morning session with the student panel.  While each and every panel member was exceptionally bright and articulate, I had to take notice of the fact that one of the young women had chosen RPI over Johns Hopkins and Lehigh, which up to this point have been Catherine's top choices.  Cathe! rine&nb sp;is at a point in her life where her choices will impact her entire future, so my wife and I e! ncourag e her to make these decisions on her own (with as much input from us as she seeks, of course.)   We would be delighted if she chose a similar path to that young lady.  And finally, the best indication of how she enjoyed the program is evidenced by the fact that not once during the entire 3 hour drive home did Catherine turn on the car radio, choosing instead to discuss the events of the day.  That, is remarkable! Thanks again, and continued success with "Design Your Future Day."
  
  — Stephen George attended DYFD 2007 with his daughter, Catherine from Abington, MA
  
  
• It's extremely cool that RPI offers such a thing to the greater community. Before the panel I talked to a number of parents and they were all very impressed with RPI and by the students they encountered through the day. It's a challenge to create a supportive environment for women in fields that have been traditionally populated solely by men, and I've always felt that RPI does an exceptional job; it's one of many reasons I am proud to call it my alma mater.
  
  Thanks again, and hope you are feeling victorious after the event!
  
  — Erin Hoffman ’03; alumna panelist for DYFD 2007 and a writer and design consultant for 1st Playable Productions in Troy, NY:
  
  
• I wanted to take the time to let you know how excited I was to be apart of DYFD this past weekend.  This is my second year participating in the day, and I continue to be amazed at how inspirational of a day it is for not only the high school women but for the college students participating as well  Thank you for asking me to be part of the panel; I enjoyed being able to share my excitement about RPI and women in engineering with other leaders on campus.  I am inspired as well from the day listening to other panelists , especially the ones at lunch.  Thank you again for all you did to make this day very successful and an inspirational day for high school girls, their parents, and your own RPI college students!
  
  — Lisa Muscanell ’09, Environmental Engineering Major, served on a student leadership panel and was also a student volunteer for DYFD 2007
  
  
  
• My daughter Ashley Wolfrum and I attended the Design Your Future Day event held at your school on 4/21.  I just wanted to express to you our thanks for such a great day.  I am the mother of 3 daughters, Ashley being the oldest and to have the opportunity to be part of such a remarkable event for young women was such a joy.  The event was so well organized.  Our compliments to you and your staff for a great job.  We look forward to visiting/attending Rensselear again. Thank you.
  
  — Melanie Wolfrum, attended DYFD 2007 with her daughter, Ashley from New Paltz, NY