I have been married to my wonderful wife Angela for about 5 years. Our son Caleb is a little over 2 years old now and we are expecting another baby around the beginning of January. We are enjoying this adventure with each other!
I grew up playing games and programming in BASIC on my family’s Commodore 64 (C64). What a computer that was! Programmers kept pushing the computer (which was located inside the keyboard!) to new limits and differentiating their products with innovative ideas. The results were engaging games and programs that became the front-runners for much of today’s software.
After being a part of the C64 era, I realized that many hardware and software engineers are not taking the same approach as was practiced in the days of the C64. Instead, many designers now focus more on using inefficient implementations, relying on brute force approaches with bleeding-edge technology instead of designing for future scalability and fully utilizing the capabilities of readily-available technology. This insight made me realize early on that I wanted to be an engineer, that I needed to be personally involved in my work, and that my work should be efficient and well-planned. These ideals have governed my standards and ethics, and are reflected in my schooling, my work, and my goals.
Throughout my experiences, I have developed a love for learning and a love for challenges. I owe much of my interest in this field to some values that I try integrate into my work:
- Make work fun and interesting
- Perform tasks well, so that they reflect my integrity
- Perform tasks without egotistical or self-serving ambitions
- Plan what I am going to do before trying to do it (makes designs clean)
I completed my undergraduate degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northern Arizona University in May 2008. I have been involved in many research projects, working one-on-one with professors, during the last three years of my undergraduate tenure.
I am currently enrolled at Harvard University to receive my Masters of Science (continuing my focus on engineering). My desire for a Masters degree (and eventually a PhD) is driven by my desire to be able to be independent from other people and, conversely, to be an asset to the rest of the world. My education will help not only with my career, but with it also comes a greater ability to support my family and be an example to them, serve in my church, and be better prepared to take an active part in the community in which I live. My ultimate goal is to eventually receive my PhD and become an engineering professor. It is amazing to think that my life and the lives of those to come after me will be affected by the decisions and endeavors I am currently engaged in.
