Senior Spotlight: Reneé Tremblay ’20


Hometown: Bristol, Rhode Island

Thesis Title: Bow Flare: The Effect on the Seakeeping Performance of Containerships

Post Graduate Plans: Horizons Hull & Systems Engineer at Chevron Shipping Company (California)

Favorite Quote.
“In a flight simulator, some users will practice flying first-aid missions into underdeveloped countries. Some users will practice flying passenger jets into skyscrapers. Knowledge is a tool, and like all tools, its impact is in the hands of the user.”
(The Lost Symbol, Novel by Dan Brown)

What was your favorite Winter Work internship?
It is just impossible to pick a favorite Winter Work internship but I think my sophomore sea term is one to highlight. Never did I think I would step aboard a 300-meter liquefied natural gas carrier to sail from Texas all the way to South Korea in one shot. I spent nearly 50 days at sea, setting no foot on land in the between time. I made close friends with the officers and crew aboard and enjoyed working in the engine room with the engineers and my classmate, Chris. In addition to learning the life of a seafarer, my experience at sea gave me a great understanding of how ships operate, and how their design impacts their operation.

What’s your favorite spot on campus and why?
My most-recently acquired favorite spot on campus is my desk in the new Couch Academic Center. Despite only being able to spend two weeks there due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I really enjoyed my spot by the windows facing Bollinger Courtyard. Each night, it was the perfect place to view the sunset over Long Island Sound. Throughout my time at Webb though, I have had a great appreciation for Stevenson Taylor Hall too. I am impressed by the rich history of both the building and the grounds which I was able to study extensively in a humanities elective class I took during my Junior year.

Why did you choose Webb?
When I looked at a list of engineering majors in high school, I decided “Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,” the most-specific on the list, was probably the one for me. I pictured classes that combined three seemingly awesome subjects: math, science, and ships. When I visited Webb for the first time, I was enamored and knew it would be the perfect place to go. The opportunity to build my résumé, the impassioned engineering instruction, and the friendly atmosphere are just some of the things that attracted me initially.

Looking back at freshman year, to the time when I had spent only a few weeks at Webb, I remember it had already felt like a comfortable second home to me. Nearly four years after having made the choice to attend, I find myself incredibly thankful. I developed that résumé and received a great education which helped open the door to a career, my next opportunity. In Webb, I truly found a family beyond mine at home, and I made friendships that I am confident will last a lifetime.

What activities were you involved with at Webb?
I was involved in a multitude of activities at Webb, but some of my favorite things included helping both the admissions and communications departments. With admissions, I enjoyed giving tours of campus, managing prospective student visits, and volunteering at open house and events to share Webb with others. During my freshman year, I even took a trip to Texas to represent Webb in a college fair at a robotics championship competition. I love to speak to others about Webb because for me, it was a truly great place to attend college.

With communications, I served as the Public Relations Chair of the Student Organization for three years. Through helping manage Webb’s social media accounts, contributing content for Webb publications, learning about branding principles with administrators, staff, and the board of trustees, and more, I feel like this position gave me a minor in marketing with all of the skills I was able to develop!

In general, being super involved at Webb allowed me to improve my time-management skills and to contribute to keeping the school environment flourishing and fun to be a part of.