Extracurricular Activities
As of this year I don't have many extracurricular activities. Right now, I am part of the housing staff, my job is to run the service desk. I am hoping that I will have the time to either join the Formula or Baja teams this year and get to participate in constructing the vehicles. Other than those things, I don't have any extracurricular activities.
A Little Bit About Me
I am from a small town in Central Oregon and have lived there all my life. I graduated Culver High School while simultaneously taking classes at Central Oregon Community College. Currently, I am interning in the research and development department at KEITH Manufacturing. I spend my summers learning about and testing hydraulic machinery along with concepts on how to improve upon established products. At KEITH Manufacturing I get to experience what I would like to do after college. I will be designing and creating things as a Mechanical Engineer.
Why I Chose Oregon Tech and My Major
I chose Oregon Tech for the same reasons as most people. Oregon Tech is a smaller school, meaning I can talk to my professors and not feel like just a number in a room. There is also the idea of having more of a hands-on experience, thus far Oregon Tech has not disappointed. Now for the question of why I chose the major I did. I chose to major in mechanical engineering for a few reasons. The first being that I have always loved creating things or making complicated tasks simple with a simple mechanism. The second reason is that mechanical engineers are needed in just about every innovation style company. They are also involved in designing anything from the car that you drive to the lid on your water bottle. So, in short, I would say I like the idea of job security and being able to work just about anywhere.
My Influential Professors
I had one professor in particular that was quite influential last year. She was my CAD professor and showed me how to operate everything that is CAD. My professor specifically went step by step through all the processes and if something was misunderstood, she would take the time to go back and figure out where the break in communication was. She was even helpful outside of the classroom. My professor also stepped in and helped me out and explained things in a way that made signing up for classes much easier.
My Greatest Learning Experience At Oregon Tech
My greatest learning experience at Oregon Tech would be when I got into my first term and had all the classes that I wanted, or that I thought I wanted. I had already taken Trigonometry through community college but wasn't very strong in it. My thinking was that I would be just fine with no issues to go into Calculus. Furthermore, I thought that I wouldn't need any help either. I was in fact wrong on all accounts. I struggled a lot more than I actually needed to because I was too stubborn to ask for help. I learned that it is in fact okay to ask for help, and it is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of intelligence. You should never be afraid to ask for help.
My Plans After Graduation
My plans after I graduate from Oregon Tech is to start by heading back home and working at Keith Manufactuing full-time as a mechanical engineer on sight. I will be working on new ways to improve the hydraulic systems that have already been put into production. I will see if I can improve framing, structure, flooring, and everything else that goes along with Keith Manufacturing walking floors. Once I have five or more experience under my belt, I will either move to another company or decide to stick with Keith Manufacturing.