My name is Alyssa Mahaffey an I am a Mechanical Engineering major. I am also a sophomore and graduated from Sebring High School in 2013. My favorite class so far is Calculus 2. Although it has a reputation of being a tough class, I enjoyed the small class environment that EXCEL provided me. Before class I could laugh with all my friends at funny stories our Graduate Assistant told us and then be taught by my favorite professor, Ms. Pyle. She was very organized and always willing to help us if we didn't understand a concept. I got involved with the GEMS program because when I was a mentee, I was given such valuable advice and had an unforgettable experience with GEMS that helped make me more successful. I wish for nothing more than to show my mentees everything I have learned and for them to have an amazing college experience. Some words of wisdom that I have are that you should never be hesitant to get involved and go to events because you never know if that club will spark a new interest or if you will meet your best friend at a social event you went to because of the free food. Outside of studying for classes, I like to spend my time hanging out with friends doing basically anything fun. I especially love longboarding, football games, and beach trips.