SNHU Spotlight: Tanner McCarthy, BS in Mechanical Engineering Grad

Tanner McCarthy '23 has always liked to build things. As a kid, she built houses out of Jenga pieces and VCR tapes for her Littlest Pet Shop toys. Now, she’s building robots and graduated with her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering degree from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

“It’s really funny to think about now,” she said, “but Littlest Pet Shops typically come with their own houses. But instead, (my sister and I would) go out of our way and build our own. So I definitely think that that’s something that sparked my interest in building.”

Scholarship Opportunity at SNHU

McCarthy’s fascination with mechanics and engineering led her to pursue internships in high school. One internship, at Brown University, allowed her to work with robotics and gave her a deeper understanding of coding and wiring.

“Through that experience, I really understood... that I would want to do that for my future,” she said.

While still in high school in Providence, Rhode Island, McCarthy had the chance to give former SNHU President Dr. Paul LeBlanc a tour of the school. She told him about herself and the programming internships she had participated in.

"He was able to see my potential, I assume, and then request that I come to his school under a scholarship," she said. "I was just blessed to have that opportunity."

Community and Collaboration 

McCarthy enrolled at SNHU and became involved in a variety of on-campus programs — and, while minoring in Robotics, even helped start a Robotics Club.

While taking classes, McCarthy also worked for SNHU — at the IT Desk and, later, in instructional support services, which she said provided a unique opportunity to collaborate.

"Having that team was a new experience. You know, coming to a different state in the first place and then working with people that you don’t really know... different cultures and (everyone) coming from different backgrounds. So it was really exciting.”

She said working with the same people, for such an extended period of time, created a strong bond.

“It’s just a bond that will extend past college, which I am really grateful for,” she said. “I feel like it’s rare to do because a lot of time universities are so big, where... you’re just a number. At SNHU, you can actually get personal, have these relationships with people, staff and professors.”

McCarthy offered the same support back to campus students when she worked as a Resident Advisor (RA) in her final year of college.

“I was able to try to build community on my floor. It was a little hard... but it’s okay. We’re (like) older siblings here at SNHU," said McCarthy. "So whenever they need anything, they’ll come to me. Being able to be that support system for other people... was really meaningful.”

Women in STEM

Being an older sister figure is important to McCarthy. She hopes to inspire and encourage other women to pursue an education in STEM, just as her sister inspired her.

“I think it’s important for women to pursue careers in STEM so we can have representation,” said McCarthy. “Being able to see someone like you, do something that you’re interested in, just builds confidence."

McCarthy said seeing her older sister pursue a degree in engineering increased her own belief in herself and her abilities.

"Just seeing another Black woman in STEM follow her path gave me the confidence to follow my own path," she said.

First Generation Student

Being a first-generation student also means a lot to McCarthy. She said she loves having conversations with her father and grandmother, who provided her valuable support.

“A lot of times they don’t really know what I’m doing," said McCarthy. "But it’s still that love and support of, ‘We see what you’re doing. We weren’t able to do that, but we’re glad... (to) see you take on such a challenge for your life.'”

Future Goals

And McCarthy’s next challenge? She will be interning at a company in Dallas.

“With that, I’ll be able to extend my skills... hone in on my skills and be able to develop myself even more so before going into the industry,” she said.

Ultimately, McCarthy said she just loves building. At SNHU, she built a rover with equipment from the programming company Arduino.

“I was able to create a little robot that’s able to follow a line, as well as do a little dance, and also be able to play music as it’s going on cruise control,” she said. “For me to be able to create something is really where my passion in robotics comes from. So being able to see the final product, animated and moving, is an awesome feeling.”

Abigayle Mahnken ’22 is an assistant content writer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and is currently earning a Master of Arts (MA) in English and Creative Writing. Passionate about storytelling and education, she enjoys learning from fellow students' experiences and sharing their stories. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, reading, and learning. She also really likes video games. Connect with her on LinkedIn.