Marlo DeSimone, a junior mechanical engineering major, was awarded the Deloitte Foundation Society of Women Engineers Scholarship, which recognizes young women committed to pursuing careers in engineering. This $10,000 scholarship supports and inspires women as they advance in professional engineering fields.
“This recognition reinforces my confidence as an aspiring engineer and inspires me to keep pursuing opportunities that challenge and empower me,” she said.
From an early age, DeSimone was fascinated by building, problem-solving, and using her creativity to develop solutions. During a campus visit to TCNJ in her junior year of high school, she realized that the college would be the best place for her to pursue that passion.
“The small student-to-faculty ratio stood out to me, along with the opportunity to get hands-on experience in the machine shop as early as my freshman and sophomore years,” she said. “It made TCNJ feel like a place where I could really learn, grow, and be supported.”
Last summer, DeSimone gained hands-on experience as an assistant project manager intern at Alaimo Group, a New Jersey engineering firm. On campus, she serves as the vice president of TCNJ’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers and is involved in the society’s leadership development program. She also works as a student manager of residential operations for the residential mailroom, strengthening her leadership and communication skills outside of the classroom.
DeSimone credits much of her academic success to her professors, especially mechanical engineering professor Jennifer Wang, who wrote her a letter of recommendation for this scholarship.
“The guidance and encouragement from my professors have helped me gain confidence in my abilities,” she said. “They push me to take on new challenges.”
Looking ahead, DeSimone plans to pursue a career in construction management, a field that blends her passion for engineering with her experience in project management.
— Leah Cruz ’26