Q: What led you to Messiah University and a degree in electrical engineering?
I was a “late in the game” convert to engineering while in high school, not considering anything remotely close to it until my senior year. What attracted me to engineering was the potential to meet very tangible real-world needs for those facing the greatest needs. I visited a number of schools and remember the emphasis placed what an engineering degree can do for “me.” The Collaboratory’s narrative was a stark contrast to this. I love that Messiah’s engineering program takes the focus off of what engineering can do for us, and instead chooses to ask what engineering can do to meet real needs in our local and global communities.
Q: How did your time at the Collaboratory prepare you for your career?
I am still very early in my career, but I can already see how my time in the Collaboratory has taught me that our callings go far beyond the technical work we do. When on a Collaboratory project, I spent a lot of time calculating, designing, building, and testing. But that was only the very beginning of what was important. Just as important is how we do the work, how we treat our teammates, and how we defend the agency of our clients. All of these things have held true in my career so far. I may do nitty-gritty technical work, but what is even more important is how I approach it, how I treat the people I work with, and how I look out for the best interests of my clients. It’s only when these things are done right that our engineering work really matters.
Q: Were there any moments during the Collaboratory travel that you will never forget?
The summer after my freshman year I had the opportunity to go with the Solar-PV team to do an installation at the Theological College of Zimbabwe, to power their library and computer lab amidst persistent and unpredictable blackouts. Even though I had limited knowledge or skills, I was thrilled to get to participate in what I saw as a “noble endeavor.” However, toward the end of the trip I remember sitting down with one of the Zimbabwean students and hearing his passion for studies. He shared with me how his heart breaks for the pain and brokenness that he sees in his country, but that he had great hope because he knew God was working and raising up a new generation of leaders at that school. That will be the lasting impact of our solar installation. It was incredibly humbling to be given a chance to be a part of God’s work in Zimbabwe.
Q: How did your time at Messiah University prepare you to live out your faith?
My time at Messiah taught me above all that faith cannot be just one isolated piece of my life. Faith has to inform every facet or else it ceases to be faith. God wants all of us, not just the part of us that goes to church on Sundays or chapel twice a week. At Messiah this meant learning to give God not just my “spiritual practices”, but also my studies, my free time, my relationships, my wellness habits. I’ve found in post-grad life that this can be even harder. It is really tempting, and far too easy, to let my faith walk get pushed aside with the influx of new responsibilities, schedules and distractions. But during my time at Messiah I got to experience the growth and closeness with God that comes when we give God every part of our lives, and that reminder encourages me to keep striving to see what a life fully turned over to God looks like.
Q: How are you still connected to Messiah University?
I have always loved to participate in the Collaboratory project review meetings, but my new favorite way to stay connected to Messiah University is by working with AlignedWorks – an external organization which is currently partnering with the Collaboratory to try to “scale-up” a few of the projects to become commercially viable. It is fun to watch and dream what could become of the hard work and effort put in by the Collaboratory students and advisors, beyond what’s possible in the lifecycle of a project.