I joined the MEM Program at Purdue University with a Bachelor of Mechanical and Production Engineering from Germany. I had previous industry experience in the German Space Sector, and wanted to extend my knowledge for my future career with Purdue MEM.

If there is one word that can describe my endeavors in life, it would be curiosity.

As a U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) Officer, we are charged with the planning, acquisition, construction, operation, and maintenance of all Navy and Marine Corps shore facilities worldwide.

I started my MEM journey, after graduating from Purdue’s Materials Science Engineering undergrad program, knowing just two things: 1) I want to have a career where I can make an impact, and 2) I want to work on new things.

When I started the MEM program, I knew that I wanted to build a career in Data Science.

Growing up, I was the kid who could name the make and model of every aircraft that flew overhead, achieved thousands of flight hours on Microsoft Flight Simulator X, spent the weekends flying in general aviation aircraft, and ultimately based his life around aviation.

After spending seven years in a retail career, with three years working as a Warehouses and Logistics Manager, I embarked on the most exciting and scary venture of my life: Flying to a foreign country to complete the Purdue University Master of Engineering Management Program.

After earning my bachelor’s in mathematics, I entered into the United States Army where I served for nine years as an infantry officer. Within the Army I had the opportunity to lead diverse, winning teams all over the world. While I enjoyed the challenges and opportunities presented during my military career, I knew that I was ready for a change.

I still remember the first day of orientation at Purdue University. While everyone was introducing themselves, I noticed a stark difference compared to my previous experience. In my undergraduate program, the vast majority of my batch mates shared the same academic backgrounds and career interests. At Purdue MEM, my fellow students joined from a wide range of engineering disciplines and held an array of career aspirations. The commonality that brought us together was our zeal to build a career in the corporate world. Pursuing a Master's in Engineering Management was our stepping stone to growing a leadership-focused career in our chosen technical field that incorporated a closer look towards management.

When I started my first job at Ford after graduating from the Master of Engineering Management program at Purdue, I actually had no idea what exactly it was that I wanted to do. Luckily, thanks to the variety of skills that I obtained through the MEM program, I was given the opportunity to explore many different roles within Ford ranging from Software Engineer to White Hat Hacker. It was not until my fourth role as a Technical Product Manager that I felt I had found something that really clicked.