Activities: Intramurals,
Hometown: East Wenatchee, Washington
What is something you wish everyone knew about your major? I wish everyone knew how rewarding mechanical engineering is. I think many people go into it with the expectation that it can simply be a moneymaker if they're able to make it out the other side. I went into it with a passion for the discipline and that made all the difference. Additionally, it can be easy to let a hard class or professor that doesn't quite line up with your learning style bring your confidence down. It wasn't until Winter Quarter of my sophomore year that I gained confidence in my math skills and it was largely due to a fantastic professor, despite being in the hardest class I had taken so far.
What was your most impactful class or professor? This fantastic professor was Dr. Sarah McCord in the class differential equations. Differential equations combines skills from the first three calculus courses and Professor McCord made the material more learnable than I had experienced before. She appreciates the beauty of mathematics and was generous with her time, making herself very available throughout the week in person and over email. She also portrayed the joy of the Lord well in every class session, making me look forward to learning. The combination of this class and this professor kicked off my journey of really loving the learning aspect of being in school.
What are you excited for in your future career? I am excited to follow the path God has for me in my career. He has opened many doors of opportunity and starting with a job in civil engineering, I have no idea where exactly I'll end up or what the future holds, but I am confident that I have plenty to look forward to after my experience at SPU.
What advice do you have for incoming students? My advice to incoming students is to take advantage of the opportunities that being at a Christian school presents. There are hundreds of students that go to several churches nearby campus and having a church community that you see several times a week around campus significantly improves quality of life, especially first trying to figure things out in freshman year.
How have you grown during your time at SPU? I have grown physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. The last three are very interconnected as I have seen my walk with God increase my mental fortitude in hard times. I've learned what opportunities are worth committing to and what are not based on where I see myself going in life with the skills I develop. I've developed strong friendships as well as an idea of what strong friendships are built on. Overall, I've grown in my independence and competence and knowing what that should look like as I continue to mature in the years to come.