We all know the life of an engineer at Princeton is rough, taxing, and overall difficult. But the students of this rigorous department push themselves because they know that after graduation their futures are more or less set. Vivian and Edward Weng, two Princeton alumni who both studied electrical engineering, maintained an open mind about their futures (rivaling Brown’s open curriculum). Mittens! I wouldn’t call it the first thing I think of when I think of the average Princeton engineer, but Vivian and Edward are not your average engineers.
Her Campus Princeton: How was your Princeton experience?
Edward: Princeton is an amazing place to study. All of the students and professors are really supportive… I remember when I told people that I was starting a mitten business; no one thought I was crazy when they probably should have.
Vivian: I had an amazing experience at Princeton. It really pushed me to discover what I’m passionate about, but also emphasized that life is a journey – and that you don’t have to know exactly what or where you want to be in 10 years.
Her Campus Princeton: What were your majors?
Vivian: We both studied electrical engineering, and while that might not seem like it would be very helpful in running an apparel business, it turned out to be very applicable. Ed used a lot of his programming skills that he learned in his engineering classes to develop the e-commerce store where we sell our merchandise.
Her Campus Princeton: Do you feel that your life/coursework at Princeton prepared you for your life in “the real world”
Edward: Definitely. I’ve found that I end up drawing on a lot of what I learned at Princeton to help me in day-to-day tasks at work. Plus, living on your own for the better part of four years doesn’t hurt.
Vivian: There’s one class in particular, Ed Zschau’s High Tech Entrepreneurship, that I felt really prepared me for the real business world. I can recall certain “lightbulb going off” moments from that class that continue to have an impact on important decisions that I make today.=
Her Campus Princeton: What spurred your Mittenberry ideas?
Vivian: Well, at the time, I lived in New York City, and I was sick of standing in the street with my mittens in my mouth as I furiously typed on my BlackBerry. I had mittens with flaps on the fingers, but that was useless for the BlackBerry, as you needed to use your thumbs. After doing a bit of research, I realized no one had created mittens with thumb flaps. I called up my brother to see if he wanted to launch a business, and the rest is history.
So I guess when career services said at the beginning of freshman year that your major does not determine your future, they weren’t lying. That’s a relief! If you want to purchase mittens from these distinguished alumni please visit www.mittenberry.com.
If you enter the coupon code “TIGERS20” you can also get 20% off and free shipping. These mittens are not only cute, but perfect for our obnoxiously chilly New Jersey weather as of late. You can’t go wrong with Mittenberry! The pink ones are a perfect Valentines Day present! Drop the hint ladies!!!