“MISSion Innovation was some of the best preparation for life in higher education, especially as an incoming engineering student. I learned technical skills around designing and prototyping under the pressure of requirements and a deadline, and programming logic and proficiency. Equally important, I developed skills in public speaking, documenting the proposals and then progress of my projects, and the ability to constructively work with a team. MISSion Innovation provided a constructive environment for me to gain confidence in those abilities, so I did not feel completely out of place as the only woman in some collegiate engineering projects. All of these skills were heavily emphasized and required to succeed in my first semester of college, and Pretty Brainy provided the foundation for those skills to be built upon. ”

— Katherine Schutt | student and Boettcher Scholar, University of Colorado at Boulder