Paige Stroh grew up in Hawthorne, New Jersey with her parents and two older sisters, Maggie and Gina. Always being an outgoing child, Stroh feels as though her extroverted personality still stays with her to this day.
“I was an outgoing child. In high school I was a little more expressive of my weirdness, so when I came to college I felt shyer, but now I really don’t care. I would describe myself as quirky, positive, helpful, outgoing, and contemplative. I think I’m a natural leader. A weakness of mine would definitely be overthinking, and sometimes I struggle with a lack of motivation. I grew up in Christian home so I feel like that really helped me develop into someone who strives to be a compassionate and forgiving person. My parents definitely tried to instill those beliefs, they influenced me greatly.”
When the time came to graduate Hawthorne High School and move on to college, Stroh knew she wanted to spend her four years at The College of New Jersey.
“TCNJ was my first choice, second was Stevens. But, both my sisters went to TCNJ so it already felt like home.”
Stroh knew she wanted to be a biomedical engineering major, something that less than 25% of college women study, according to National Public Radio statistics.
“I never changed my major. A lot of people dropped at some point. I really liked science and math but I was also really interested in helping people and I wanted to combine the two together. I would say the worst part about my major is the workload. My favorite thing about it is how you can apply these different concepts to the actual human body and see what the different outcomes are. I thought the profession was cool and am excited to see what I can actually do with it. I generally excelled at science and math in high school. I liked all subjects, but just had a particular interest those two.”
Luckily, Stroh did not face much opposition when it came to her academic choices and career path, like many young women do when pursuing careers in math and science.
“Usually whenever I say I am going into biomedical engineering it is a very positive response. I have only had a couple of people comment on the prospects of being a biomedical engineer. As far as my friends and family, I have had a positive response.”
Outside of the classroom, Stroh likes to keep busy with activities that are involved with her major and also cater to her affinity for helping people.
“I’m president of the Biomedical Engineering Society, last year I was more involved with the Protestant Bible Fellowship, but this year I have different time commitments. And I am involved with Residential Education and Housing. Besides the obvious perks of being a CA, which wasn’t really the reason why I did it, I just really liked the thought of being able to help the TCNJ community, to be able to talk to and meet more people and be able to have a positive impact on the community as a whole.”
As for other hobbies and interests, Stroh enjoys activities that keep her positive and creative.
“I like to read. In high school I played tennis and ran. I like working out. I would really like to get into basket weaving. Spending time with friends makes me happy, but I think what makes me happiest is helping people. Whether it’s directly or indirectly, there’s no better feeling.”
And like many college juniors, Stroh is just enjoying the ride, and has some uncertainties about life post-graduation.
“I’m happy with the pace at which my experience is going. I try not to wish my weeks away because of my workload. I still don’t know what I want to do after college. I had an internship last summer with a pharmaceutical company, but it didn’t really have anything to do with engineering. I think I’m going to go straight into industry, I don’t think I’m going to go to grad school. That would be like working for a company and getting a job right away. No more schooling or going into research. You could go into management, mechanics, there’s so much to do.”
Traveling may also be something the TCNJ junior does when she leaves school, before fully throwing herself into her profession.
“I want to backpack through Europe. I have been to Italy before. I’m going to Aruba in May, which I’m quite excited about. But my dream would be to backpack through Europe.”
Positivity being her number one focus, Stroh lives her life day-to-day aiming for fulfillment and gratitude. She is excited about her career path, the prospects of making a difference, and experiencing each stage of life.
“Being married and having a nice house would be great but I feel like it’s all relative. No one can predict that. Just being content with my life in whatever situation I’m in is what I strive to achieve. One mantra I try to live by everyday is ‘embrace life and everything that comes with it’.”