When it came time to look at colleges, SCSU stood out thanks to its faculty with industry experience. “I toured a lot of schools, but SCSU’s teachers had backgrounds in industry. Dr. Sezen for instance brought insight from his time working on sensors, and Tim Goodner had experience in the auto industry. They weren’t just academics but had worked for companies as engineers and had the stories to tell about it.”

Joining Husky Formula Racing (HFR)—a student team that designs, builds and races a car in the Formula SAE competition—was a defining part of his time at SCSU. “Creating a race car from scratch, then competing against other universities, was an incredible learning experience. The competition raised the bar because it mimics what companies do in a competitive marketplace where engineers work.”

Through HFR, he found that problem solving, and self-teaching were the most important skills. His team had to learn about vehicle dynamics and fabrication, for instance. Not only did they have to practice documentation in their courses, but they had to actually do it, then present it to engineers from companies like GM and Blue Origin. “Getting the engineers’ feedback on the team’s reports and designs was a game changer. That feedback taught us how professionals think. It shaped how I approach engineering today.”

Having to collaborate and work under time and budget constraints on the HFR car helped prepare him for real jobs post-graduation.

Now a Manufacturing Engineer at Protolabs, he uses those same skills daily where he focuses on creating products that are high quality but made as efficiently as possible. “The hands-on experience and problem-solving mindset I developed at SCSU gave me a major head start,” he said. Courses like Intro to Engineering, Graphic Design using SolidWorks, and Materials Science provided a strong technical foundation for designing safe, effective components.

Beyond academics, HFR provided a sense of community. “It made the tough coursework more manageable. We were all in it together, and that camaraderie mattered. And, the Mechanical Engineering degree significantly boosted my earning potential. I wouldn’t have my job without it!”