KATARÍNA ROVENSKÁ

How and why did you choose your university?​

As a high-schooler, I had an interest in physics and mathematics, thanks to my back-then teachers. With all honesty, the eighteen-year-old me decided to go for nanotechnology simply because it sounded fancy. There were several schools that offered such study programs, but my final decision was based on personal experience at the faculty Open Days, where I found the students of the program like-minded, which assured me of my decision. 

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What did you major in, and what did you think of the program?​

I majored in Physical Engineering and Nanotechnology offered by the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Brno University of Technology (BUT).

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How did you find your career path?​

To pursue a doctorate? I grew fond of science and research, but I always had sympathies for teaching and knew that this was a part of the package while staying in academia. To this day, I enjoy teaching, especially because my course is closely tied to the techniques that I use in the lab in my research.

 

What was your favorite class?​

Most likely, it was the very first course in Physics that focused on mechanics. In a sense, it was a very humbling experience where I had to work a lot to get a grasp of what was going on. ​

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How did you get involved on campus?

​In my time at the Faculty, I was involved mostly on the department level, I got to co-organize science-promoting lectures in the Science and Technology Club for the broad public. Later on, in my doctoral studies, I was elected to the Student Chamber of the Academic Senate and chosen as the ombudsperson for CEITEC PhD students. I pursued student representation even in our university alliance and at the national level.  

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What did you gain outside of the college classroom?

​I got the chance to really dive into leadership, organizing events, and getting involved with student representation, which helped me grow in ways that textbooks just can't.

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What was the greatest challenge you faced in college?

Figuring out how to manage everything—my PhD work and additional requirements of our studies, student representation roles, and trying to keep some personal time for myself.

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What advice do you have for someone attending this institution?

Focus on what you find important and what makes you happy.

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