Background and Education

 I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, where I was always drawn to building, fixing, and figuring out how things work. That early curiosity turned into a passion for engineering—not just as a technical pursuit, but as a way to create meaningful solutions to real-world problems. Today, as a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Michigan, I’m working toward a career in aerospace where I can contribute to exploration, innovation, and the systems that support progress on a global scale.

 My education has been shaped by hands-on, interdisciplinary projects that demand both creativity and precision. I’ve built competition robots, reverse-engineered consumer technologies like electric bikes, and designed structural hardware for submarine modules and high-voltage aerospace welding systems. During my internship at KEEL, I contributed to manufacturing systems that had to meet strict real-world performance and safety standards—applying CAD, machining, stress analysis, and electrical integration across multiple live projects.

 Beyond engineering, I’ve also worked in research environments, using GIS tools and chemical data to map prehistoric settlement patterns in Kosovo. This geospatial work, presented at national academic conferences, gave me a deep appreciation for how data, systems thinking, and human history intersect—an outlook I carry with me into every project.

 At the heart of my work is a drive to design systems that are not only reliable, but thoughtful and adaptable—solutions that serve people, push boundaries, and make the world more connected, sustainable, and capable of reaching farther than it could before.

Outside Interests

 Outside of engineering, I’ve always been drawn to space—both as a subject of study and as a source of inspiration. There's something deeply motivating about working toward problems that extend beyond Earth, where precision, resilience, and creativity are essential.

 I also enjoy traveling and seeing how people live and solve problems in different places. Whether it’s a new city or a rural town, those experiences help me reset and often bring a fresh perspective to my work. I’ve always liked building things from the ground up, not just as technical challenges, but as ways to create something meaningful or useful for other people.

 In my free time, I play soccer, go to the gym, listen to music, and spend time with close friends. These moments keep me balanced and inspired while also reminding me why I care about creating new systems that improve lives, whether here on Earth or somewhere farther out.

I once built a 40 mph electric bike from a standard frame and a repurposed RYOBI leaf blower battery—partly because I was recovering from a soccer injury and couldn’t drive yet. It turned out to be one of the most fun (and fastest) engineering experiments I’ve done on my own.