Major: Electrical Engineering
Class: 2005
Hometown: Batavia, Ill.
Major at MSOE: Electrical Engineering
Rank: 1st Lieutenant
Stationed: Vance AFB in Enid, Okla.
Flies: Currently the T-38C (soon to be the F-16)
Years in service: 3
Favorite food: Mexican
Favorite band\type of music: Led Zeppelin, rock
Family pet: two cats and two Dachshunds
How did engineering/MSOE prepare you for their current role?
MSOE helped me prepare for my current role in two ways. First, it helped me develop the study habits you need when learning to fly. There is a lot of information that you're given in a short period of time. After a twelve hour day of flights, sims, and academics you come home exhausted, but you have to push through that and study a couple hours before you go to bed. Once you finish training, the studying doesn't stop. There is always something new for you to learn or something old you need to review. Second, MSOE is very demanding. If you want to do well you have to give 100% and nothing less. That kind of mentality is imperative in military aviation.
What made you choose MSOE?
I chose MSOE because of its reputation and its small student to instructor ratio. I didn't like the idea of being in large lecture halls where the instructor wouldn't know whether you were there or not, nor care.
Did you have a favorite professor? Why?
Although I had only one class with him, Dr. Scheibler is the professor who stands out the most in my mind. He always made class exciting. It's the professor's responsibility to teach you the material and test your knowledge on it, but Dr. Scheibler went beyond that role. With all the classes he taught and the extra organizations and activities he was involved in, it amazed me he was still able to do special things for just our class. He made it a point to build a personal relationship with each student. I learned a lot about world societies from him, but I think the most important thing I got from his class was the importance of building relationships.
MSOE costs more than other schools. Was it worth it?
The education I received from MSOE was worth the cost. And the life skills I unknowingly developed while receiving that education are priceless.
Advice/anything you would want to say to our current MSOE population?
Don't take any class for granted and get more involved with student organizations. I wish I would've done more with extracurricular activities.
How do you spend your time when not in the air?
I enjoy spending time with my wife Monica. We like to travel, swim, read, watch movies, and take our wiener dogs for walks.
Anything personal you'd like to add
I've been married to Monica for two years now. I met her my last year at MSOE when she was in the nursing program. I owe my success in pilot training to her because she was always there to pick me up after a bad flight or encourage me to continue working hard. With that kind of support structure the sky - the outer atmosphere - is the limit.