Lessons
Every once in awhile I learn a really profound lesson. My freshman year at Stevens Tech was very difficult; I had a tough time maintaining discipline in my studies. I took a year off to work and that was really depressing. A couple of months before I was supposed to return to Stevens, I learned a lesson that changed the rest of my time at Stevens. I was visiting with a relative at the Jersey Shore and griping about just about everything. The difficulty of Mechanical Engineering classes, the dreary nature of Hoboken and New York City. A guest at the house, a chiropractor, said, “You’re stupid.”
“If you can’t see how great New York City is, you are stupid. There are amazing museums, restaurants, and…” I was taken aback and started to really hate him. The truth hurt and I gradually realized he was right and I hadn’t seen that side of New York. He also said I was stupid for wasting the opportunity at Stevens. Again, he was right. I spent the next three years at Stevens making the most of the opportunity.
Recently, I interviewed for a design engineering position at Zipp Speed Weaponry. My credentials were a bit weak for the position, but my zeal for the cycling got me an interview. Throughout the interview, Andy Ording, the President, kept asking questions like “Do you do work on your car?” He felt I didn’t have enough design experience and I didn’t have enough hands-on experience. He is right (which is probably why I haven’t heard back from him). So, I spent the weekend rebuilding the brakes and replacing lights on my Cavalier. It’s a start.
