It all started with the scent of Banana Laffy Taffy.
As a high school student in AP Chemistry, Rose Henderson knew she loved math and science, but she wasn’t exactly sure what degree to pursue following graduation. One day, her high school chemistry lab changed everything. Henderson was tasked with making the scent of Banana Laffy Taffy, where she was first introduced to food engineering and later discovered chemical engineering. She quickly realized that this was something she wanted to study.
“In high school, when I figured out the field I wanted to go into, I told most people I wanted to be Willy Wonka, and that was kind of what chemical engineering was,” Henderson said.
Now a senior studying chemical and biomolecular engineering with a minor in the Hoeft Technology & Management Program, Henderson credits her family with shaping the person she is today. She describes her grandparents, who she affectionately refers to as Nani and Papa, as two of her biggest supporters.
“My Nani tells me that I'm going to be the head honcho of the company I'm going to work at, and she says that all the time,” Henderson said.
Henderson also highlighted the overwhelming support and encouragement provided by her parents. Growing up, Henderson said they were always finding ways to push her to be the best she could be.
“Whether it was my dad writing out extra math problems for me to study, or if it was my mom telling me, ‘Hendersons are winners,’ and pushing me to not be afraid to try new things.”
Through her role as a Learning Assistant for freshmen, Henderson says one of the most rewarding parts of the job is being able to see the impact she has on people, whether it’s a student organization or someone that she personally knows. As a professional mentor for two years, Henderson always finds herself getting excited when a student is elected for a leadership or research position.
“It's just being able to support people and seeing them succeed kind of after you. It is really rewarding,” Henderson said.
In addition to her mentorship position, Henderson also serves as the Internal Vice President of the AIChE student group, President of the T&M Student Organization, and is a member of the engineering
fraternity Theta Tau. Earlier this year, Henderson was named a 2026 Knight of St. Patrick for her excellence in leadership, character and contributions to Grainger Engineering. This recognition is one of the highest honors given by Grainger Engineering to students and was only presented to twelve students. While Henderson notes that it’s easy to get down on yourself while studying engineering, receiving an
honor like this makes everything worth it.
“At the end of the day, sometimes it can be hard to see those qualities in yourself. So, it's nice to be recognized for it and see that I did a good job. I've had an impact on people,” Henderson said.
Henderson feels that the University of Illinois is the perfect place to call home. Aside from being a top-ranked engineering school, Henderson describes the University of Illinois as a memorable place where resources and opportunities are plentiful. She argues that this factor alone makes studying at the University of Illinois the right decision for a lot of people.
“Growing up, my parents had both gone to a smaller school, so there wasn't necessarily the school spirit you see here at Illinois," Henderson said. “I think it's so fun that even when I'm back in my hometown, if I'm wearing something that says Illinois, there's someone that's going to say I-L-L to me, and sometimes it's not even someone that went to school here. I think just the atmosphere of a big school, even while off campus and just the fun of it, is really awesome.”