Clubs and activities
I have been very active with FarmHouse Fraternity and the Salt Company, and I have also been involved with the Birding Club, Tau Beta Pi, and Dance Marathon.
Valuable hands-on learning in class
Using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and other analysis instruments for my Corrosion and Failure Analysis class was my most valuable in-the-classroom hands-on learning experience. It was practical, fun, and good practice for coordinating testing and timing with different teammates throughout the semester.
Valuable out-of-the-classroom experience
Going on an overseas mission trip through the Salt Company was my most valuable out-of-the-classroom hands-on learning experience. It was great to be immersed in and learn a different culture, get close to some of the locals, and navigate all the highs and lows with my team and teams from the University of Iowa and Illinois State, but the most valuable parts were getting to grow in my faith and share the Good News that Jesus died to pay for our sins with so many people.
Most influential mentor
Tyler Bultena, a fellow Iowa State student, was my most influential mentor. Tyler was a junior when I was a freshman, and even as a 20-year-old, he was full of wisdom. He asked many thought-provoking questions that led me to better understand my values and how my actions did (or did not) reflect those values. In particular, Tyler pushed me to grow in my faith and to go all-in on leaping out of my comfort zone.
Best memory/greatest accomplishment
My best memories at Iowa State generally include a couple of hammocks, FarmHousers, and a night sky packed with stars. My greatest accomplishment was putting a pair of googly eyes on that silhouette of a person reading on the Parks Library Book Return. One eye fell off, but someone else liked the idea enough to replace it!
Plans after graduation
Iowa State can’t get rid of me that easily — I am sticking around for graduate school under one of my favorite Mat E professors, Dr. Peter Collins. After that, I plan to find a job in materials research.
Engineering like a Cyclone Engineer
My Algebra II teacher, Mr. Albertson, was fond of The Law of the Harvest: “You reap what you sow.” Fittingly, Iowa State provides all the metaphorical land and seed we could need. Being a Cyclone Engineer means investing in oneself and one’s peers to grow — not just as engineers — but as people.
What I’d tell my younger self about Iowa State
I gained friends, confidence, knowledge, many new experiences, and a deep dread of wind chill, but I wouldn’t tell him any of that. I’d just say I gained “an extraordinary education.” I’d know what I mean, and the rest would be spoilers anyway.
Most inspiring location on campus
Any upper-level area in Hoover Hall with a view of the Marston Water Tower and Cyclones on the move is gold. Hoover Hall is the Mat E fiefdom within our Cyclone Nation, the water tower is a stately icon, and experiencing the emptiness of Iowa State in the fall semester of 2020 showed me how much students bring our campus to life.