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When Alexandra Iozzo ’25 began exploring colleges, she didn’t have to look far. Her older brother had recently graduated from the University of New Haven, and as a Trumbull, Connecticut, native, she appreciated the opportunity to stay close to home.

In addition to the location and the șÚÁÏÉçs of her brother, something else stood out. “The engineering department at the University is a great one to be a part of,” she says. “When I was looking at schools, I heard the mechanical engineering department was growing and was a really good opportunity.”

She originally considered aerospace engineering, but quickly realized mechanical engineering gave her more flexibility. “Mechanical is super broad,” she explains. “I could go into any field, not just aerospace — as I’m doing now, going into pharmaceuticals.”

This summer, weeks after graduating, Iozzo started her new role as a quality engineer I at , a global medical technology company. It’s a major milestone after nearly a year of applying to jobs, completing internships, and preparing through hands-on classes at the University.

“Having that internship șÚÁÏÉç allows me to go in with some knowledge, so I’m not just thrown right into the ringer,” she says.

During her time at the University, Iozzo gained hands-on șÚÁÏÉç that proved essential in preparing her for the pharmaceutical industry. One of the most impactful opportunities was an internship at .

“That got me into the pharmaceutical world,” she says. “It allowed me to understand how clean rooms work, how different practices such as ISO 8 work. I understand just how specific everything has to be.”

This real-world exposure made her confident entering a highly regulated industry where attention to detail is critical. “You’re working with medical devices that are going to go to someone,” she explains. “I will specifically be working with things such as sutures and staples, so it needs to be very clean and sterile.”

That internship, coupled with the University’s lab-based courses, gave her a solid foundation. “All the hands-on classes, the labs, they’re going to help me,” she says. “Even if I’m not doing something strictly mechanical, the inspection work comes from that same skillset.”

Ultimately, the opportunity at Medtronic came together quickly. “I applied on LinkedIn, and within two weeks, I got a call from the HR manager,” she says. “I interviewed on a Thursday and by the next Wednesday, they offered me the job.”

Behind the scenes, Iozzo also benefited from the University’s strong alumni network. One alum in particular continues to make a big difference for current students.

“Aubrey Winiarski ’20 is a chemical engineer who graduated a couple years before me,” Iozzo explains. “She works with a lot of students at the University and sends us job postings, helps with interview prep, looks over our resumes.”

It was through friends in the mechanical engineering program that Iozzo first connected with Winiarski. The support proved to be invaluable during her job search with Medtronic and for a previous internship as well.

“She helped me get the internship at MannKind and then helped me get this job, too,” says Iozzo. “She didn’t do anything directly with the companies, but she was constantly sending me jobs, all hours of the day.”

That network, combined with persistence, helped her push through the more trying stretches of the job search. “I started applying last September and didn’t get my first interviews until January,” she says. “It was a long four months of rejections. But once you get interviews and people want you, it feels really nice.”

Now officially on the job, Iozzo is diving into her role as a quality engineer in the manufacturing division at Medtronic. She’ll be involved in root-cause analysis, process optimization, and inspections to ensure the quality of medical devices.

“I’ll be working on any manufacturing processes that need to be looked into or changed,” she says. “We do a lot with root-cause analysis, getting down to exactly why the problem is happening and how to fix that from the root.”

Her enthusiams for the role goes beyond the day-to-day responsibilities. “Learning to think like an engineer excites me the most,” she says. “All engineers think differently, but the common factor is knowing how to look at a problem and think specifically about how to fix it.”

Medtronic’s mission also resonates with her on a personal level. “They do things with diabetes, and my grandfather uses their products,” she says. “They’re a company that helps a lot of people, and I like to be associated with companies like that.”

For current students considering engineering, she has simple advice: “It’s really not as scary as it seems,” she says. “As long as you do your work, and you love to learn, you’ll be okay.”