The Origins

I was raised in a military family, specifically, a Marine Corps family. My parents met while they were serving in 29 Palms, CA; my Mom as an electrician and my father as an explosive ordinance disposal technician. They travelled the world having three boys along the way (the youngest of which is myself), and eventually settling down in Elizabeth, CO, after my father retired from the Marine Corps.

Back to School

By the time my father retired I was just entering middle school. During my time in middle and high school, I developed a love of music; jazz to be precise. I played saxophone in the school bands eventually making it into the all-state ensembles. I had aspirations to become a professional jazz musician, though I (and especially my mother) had concerns about the standard of living that might lead to. One night before my senior year of high school my mother mentioned to me that the military branches have bands, and suggested I look into them as a way to pursue music. In a matter of days I had auditioned and signed up for the Marine Corps.

Semper Fi

My time in the Marine Corps was really special to me. I learned how to conduct myself, what it means to lead others, and how to set/achieve goals. I had joined to be a musician, but by the end of my enlistment I just wanted to be a Marine. But despite my love of the Corps, I had decided it best to get out and begin life as a civilian. I had almost no idea what I wanted to do, though I had a pretty clear idea of what I didn't want to do. Communications, political science, nothing of the like interested me. After reviewing the available majors, I knew I had to be a computer engineer.

Go Buffs

I applied to only one school; University of Colorado, Boulder. I had a gut feeling that it was where I was meant to be and so I put all my effort into it. Once accepted, I began studying computer engineering. As I learned in the Marine Corps, what you get out of something is entirely up to you. I knew that making the most of my time at University was my responsibility. I quickly joined as many engineering clubs as I could, searching for a place that I could develop myself as an engineer. By the end of my first semester, I had joined the SpaceGrant program at CU Boulder. As part of this program, I joined the PolarCube Team, a team of about 20 engineering students working to build a 3U cubesat, in order to fly a mini-radiometer in low earth orbit. I fell in love with the work, the people, and embedded systems all in the 2.5 years I spent on that project. By the time I was getting ready to graduate, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life.

Rocket Science

My time in university provided me with the experience and expertise to thrive as an embedded systems engineer, particularly in aerospace. I applied and interviewed with several companies as I approached graduation, none of which seemed as attractive an opportunity as the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I was given an offer as an embedded flight software engineer, gladly accepted, and moved to Los Angeles, CA. I've been here for about 2 years, and haven't looked back.

Moving Forward

What matters most to me is being around good people, doing good work. I don't know where the next chapter of my life will take me, but I'm going to continue to pursue those two things. I've been blessed with friends and family to support me through my endeavors thus far, and with their continued support I'm ready for whatever life gives me and where ever it takes me!