Rachel Francone

Rachel Francone was drawn to Arizona State University because of its innovative culture, supportive faculty and ambitious students.

“The challenging coursework and questioning mindset of my professors and peers pushed me to grow both academically and professionally, allowing me to accumulate various technical and interpersonal skills to be successful in my career,” she says.

In the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Francone pursued a degree in engineering management, which she says allowed her to align the technical problem-solving foundation of engineering applications with the analytical, managerial and strategic nature of business.

Francone, who upon graduation will be Green Belt Certified in Lean Six Sigma, says “engineering management offers a way to understand how efforts and ideas can be paired with organizational objectives to create and deliver products and services that better serve customers.” 

During her time at ASU, Francone worked alongside Daniel McCarville, a professor of practice in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, in several of his courses, taking on roles such as a teaching assistant for IEE 369 Work Analysis and Design and a grader for IEE 512 Intro to Financial Engineering and IEE 320 Extreme Excel. She was also honored with the New American University Scholarship at the President’s Award level.

“Dr. McCarville’s humor, support and passion for teaching allowed me to understand the relevancy and significance of various aspects of my major in a real-world setting,” Francone says. “His confidence in my academic performance, willingness to help me explore career paths and support throughout new and challenging endeavors helped me realize the endless possibilities ahead of me and build the tools and skills needed to persevere and succeed in my career.”

Following graduation, Francone plans to remain in Arizona where she hopes to secure a job in the analytics space.

“What I love about engineering is that it inherently encourages us to take an outside-the-box approach to solving problems to produce groundbreaking ideas in an environment that celebrates collaboration, teamwork, new opportunities, diverse perspectives and change,” Francone says.

Francone credits the Fulton Schools for helping her pursue academic, personal and professional growth in many aspects of her life.

She says “the Fulton Schools’ truly symbolize innovation and have taught me that persistence, creativity, honesty, accountability and an eagerness to learn are critical elements required in turning an idea into a reality.”

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ Fall 2022 class here.