Degrees: B.S. in Chemical Engineering; Minor in Energy Studies
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
The Stamps Scholarship didn’t just shape my undergraduate experience—it created it. The scholarship itself allowed me to attend Notre Dame, where I was challenged and rewarded like never before, and where I discovered a previously unknown passion for energy and sustainability. Enrichment funding added to these already great gifts by providing me the opportunity to work and study in support of novel energy solutions, taking me from gas storage fields in California to volcanoes in Iceland and many places in between. Finally, the network and structure embedded into the Stamps Foundation helped me to forge lifelong friendships with other incredible students both at my own school and at others all around the country. The people, experiences, and ideas to which I’ve been exposed over the last four years simply wouldn’t have existed in a world without the Stamps Scholarship; it has undeniably made me who I am today.
Tell us a piece of wisdom you’ve learned over the past four years.
Something I’ve come to realize through my time as a Stamps Scholar is that nothing of significance is accomplished alone. So much of what makes the world great is due not to singular people, but to the combined creativity and effort of teams.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
I have been heavily influenced throughout my college career by the very first Professor I took a class from as a student here, Dr. Mark Roche. Dr. Roche’s philosophy and literature seminars introduced me not only to a new level of rigor in my studies, but also a new level of depth. His guidance taught me the power of good writing, the allure of critical thought, and, most importantly, the value of the liberal arts in a technical education.
What’s your favorite Stamps Scholar memory?
One of my favorite Stamps Scholar memories occurred during the week-long, Outward Bound sailing expedition I participated in during the summer before college with Stamps Scholars from other schools around the country. The first few days of our trip had been brought down by rain and a lack of wind that had forced us to row our boat down the coast for hours, cold and tired. I can still remember the joy and warmth I felt the next day sitting on the deck with wind in our sails, the sun on my back, and new friends laughing all around me.
What comes next?
I hope to soon begin an engineering career supporting the technologies and services that will accelerate the world’s transition to a sustainable energy future. Stay tuned for updates!
Please share your favorite inspirational quote.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards” ‚Äì S??ren Kierkegaard