Mechanical Engineering
- Hometown: Frankfort, IL
Biography
My name is Nathan LaCognata, and I am a Mechanical Engineering student in the class of 2025 cohort of the Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program (HIBEP) at the University of Tennessee. Originally hailing from Frankfort, IL—a suburb of Chicago—I have always been an athlete and engaged in various extracurricular activities. These diverse experiences have honed my greatest strength: adaptability. I pride myself on being able to adjust and solve problems in any situation, aided by my hardworking and determined personality.
I strive for continuous improvement both inside and outside the classroom, always aiming to be better than I was yesterday. Commitment, honesty, and resilience are values I hold dear, and I seek to collaborate with individuals who share a similar team-oriented mindset. My passion for engineering is complemented by a curiosity about business, which led me to join HIBEP. This program allows me to pursue my engineering degree while developing a solid background in business—making me a more effective engineer capable of bridging gaps between these fields. My HIBEP mentor's experience in the aerospace industry has fueled my interest in this sector as well as expanded my professional network—benefits that were particularly evident during my internship at Frito-Lay.
Looking ahead:
- Work & Life Experiences: Seek opportunities similar to my study abroad and internship experiences.
- Industry Focus: Use my mechanical engineering degree and HIBEP minor in the automotive, aerospace, or food & beverage industries.
- Sustainable Innovation: Contribute to sustainable advancements in automobiles, racing, and flight without losing their enchantment.
My love for cars and planes fuels my aspiration to work in either automotive performance or racing divisions or within aerospace due to their overlapping areas like aerodynamics and manufacturing processes.
Over the past summer, I completed an enriching supply-chain and engineering internship with Frito-Lay. This experience provided me with real-world business acumen that complements my core engineering studies through HIBEP. I also discovered a newfound intrigue for the food and beverage industry—a sector with more complexity than initially realized—which offers exciting opportunities worth exploring further.
