Industrial Engineering
- Hometown: Long Island, New York
Biography
My name is Rebecca Terc, and I am currently studying Industrial Engineering while being a part of the 2026 Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program (Heath IBEP) cohort. I grew up in a town on the North Shore of Long Island, New York. As a prospective engineer with effective time management skills, I am looking to utilize my exceptional interpersonal abilities and strong work ethic to help people and enhance the way companies function.
I play the Piccolo in The Pride of the Southland Band and have a deep passion for music, which I believe is an integral part of the person I have grown to be. There are numerous valuable lessons to be learned from music, and they have all benefitted me academically and socially. Music demands an immense amount of patience, dedication, adaptability, and discipline. You must be able to adjust your skillset to suit the specific piece you are playing based on its time period, origin, or composer. Patience and dedication are crucial for regular practice and the acceptance of inevitable mistakes and imperfections each time you pick up your instrument. This requires a high level of discipline and accountability to hold yourself to a certain standard and work diligently to achieve it. There's no room for procrastination in music; you either practice or you don't – routine is a choice. I find this to be true in most aspects of life; you either complete your task, or you don't – you simply don't know if there will be another opportunity to do it, as someone is always working to take your place.
Before committing to the University of Tennessee (UT), I learned about Heath IBEP through my academic advisor. This program was a significant draw for me to come to Tennessee and appeared to be an exciting challenge. As much as I enjoy working with numbers, I also value and strive for efficiency in my everyday life. This made Industrial Engineering the obvious choice for me when applying to schools and selecting a degree path. Growing up in a business and an analytically-driven household, I understand the importance of exposure to business practices, regardless of the field you are in, as there is always more to learn. This program seems like the perfect opportunity to strengthen my understanding of business and integrate my technical and personal skills. Another crucial aspect of Heath IBEP that attracted me to the program was the opportunity for real-world problem-solving within the cohort and interacting with peers who possess different strengths. I look forward to working with my team to help companies improve and gain a deeper understanding of system processes.
In the next few years, my goals are to graduate from UT with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Engineering Management. Along the way, I hope to secure internship opportunities where I can assist companies in designing and implementing their processes more efficiently and address any further needs that may be identified. I am interested in working within the Aerospace or Music industries; however, I am excited to explore any opportunity that may arise. Looking further into the future, I hope to use my experiences to start my own company focused on finding solutions to women's health challenges.
