Zane's Journey

It was nearing the end of senior year. The number of my engineering friends without jobs lined up was plummeting, and it seemed like everyone was set for the “next step”. Meanwhile, I was putting in hours as a barista at Greyhouse and preparing myself for a life digging through dumpsters on the streets. The future was looking grim.

Then, one fateful day in February (2018), I got an email from an acoustic consulting company in Denver, CO requesting an interview. Next thing you know, I was sitting in a board room in front of some scary adults who were asking me about my industry experience and software proficiencies. As a guy who poured coffee for college students and baled hay for a farmer in central Indiana during my summers, I drew a blank. As much as I wanted to blow steam about my relatively short AutoCAD class and theatre design courses, I decided to be honest about my experiences and let the company know that I was excited to learn and absorb their way of doing things like a sponge. Prof. P (Pilotte) always told us companies would recognize authenticity and appreciate someone who didn’t pretend to know more than he or she really did. I guess it worked.

Now I’m full time with D. L. Adams Associates, one of the most respected acoustic consulting and theater architecture firms here in the Mile High City. Just starting out, it’s definitely a big difference from the world of education at Purdue. For one thing, no homework on the weekends or in the evenings means I can get lost in the mountains and join local volleyball teams without blowing off studying for a big exam. I spend my weekdays learning the software we use to model mechanical noise and analyze building plans, and telling architects them when someone in their future apartment is going to complain because their neighbor is blasting 90’s boy band hits.

"I don’t know what the future holds for you or I, but it’s a big exciting world if you are honest with what you know, and jump on opportunities to build people up instead of stepping over them for professional success!"

I definitely had no idea where I would end up, but following the MDE advisors’ advice to stay persistent with dream companies in dream cities paid off. MDE prepared me to be a well-rounded individual who is proud of his educational background, albeit a road less traveled, and represent myself honestly to prospective employers. This comes into play nearly every day as I work with clients who haven’t a clue what I am talking about, but have been around long enough to spot a phony. I don’t know what the future holds for you or I, but it’s a big exciting world if you are honest with what you know, and jump on opportunities to build people up instead of stepping over them for professional success!

Zane Wright
D.L. Adams Associates
Denver, Colorado