When Georgia Tech School of Electirical and Computer Engineering (ECE) second-year electrical engineering student Sophie Andersen boarded her flight to Norway this past May, she wasn’t just crossing the Atlantic, she was closing one chapter and opening another.
What began as a family visit to maintain her Norwegian citizenship and connect with loved ones quickly transformed into something more: a month of rediscovery, growth, and the quiet confidence that comes from finally finding your path.
“I’ve always loved visiting Norway,” Andersen said. “But this trip felt different. I was by myself this time because my parents and brother stayed in the U.S, so I explored in a new way. I felt more independent, more adventurous.”
From ferry rides to remote islands and afternoons spent reading along cobblestone streets, Sophie soaked up every moment. She even managed to blend leisure with learning.
Between family visits and solo sightseeing, Sophie dove into an online printed circuit board (PCB) design tutorial from the Hive, Georgia Tech’s electronics-oriented makerspace.
ECE Takes You There
This story is part of the "ECE Takes You There" summer series highlighting student, faculty, and alumni summer adventures! From exciting internships to international travel, discover how the ECE community is exploring, learning, and growing.
“Even though I wasn’t on campus, I was still learning,” she said. “The Hive has this great video series on using KiCad software to design PCBs. I’ve been watching and practicing on my laptop. Having access to that from anywhere is amazing.”
Andersen’s time in Norway was the perfect reset and opportunity to slow down, reflect, and recharge before diving into the next phase of her summer adventure: starting an internship in Boston working on surgical robotics for the medical device company Medtronic.
A Norwegian dinner spread at Anderson's grandparents home in Scandinavian country.
Anderson enjoying lunch with her Mom and Grandmother
The shift was more than academic.
“It changed how I saw myself and my future,” said Andersen. “In EE, I immediately started learning tangible skills.”
Courses like ECE 2026 Introduction to Signal Processing, pushed Andersen more than any class she’d taken before, but the challenge helped her build confidence.
She also credits ECE 1100, the School’s introductory seminar course, with helping her understand the breadth of opportunities available in the field.
“ECE 1100 forced me to build a portfolio site and think seriously about my career path,” she said. “It was the kind of guidance I didn’t realize I needed, but I’m so glad I got it.”
A Dream Opportunity
It was during a season of academic transition that Sophie first applied to Medtronic.
“I’d always admired the company, especially since a family friend worked there. When they hosted an info session at Tech, I made sure to go,” she recalled. “I also spoke with other students who’d interned there, which gave me a lot of insight going into the interviews.”
Ultimately, she landed a role in software engineering, her top choice. This summer, she’ll be working on surgical robotics — bringing together everything she loves about technology, medicine, and impact.
And while her resume still showed BME major when she applied, switching to EE helped cement her fit in the world of software engineering.
Long-term, Andersen hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in bioelectronics and contribute to cutting-edge developments like neural interfaces and electronic therapies for spinal injuries.
“Bioelectronics and brain-computer interfaces are the future, and now I feel like I’m on a path that actually prepares me for that,” she said. “Switching to ECE gave me the clarity and confidence I was missing.”
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