I graduated from Rancho Cotate High School in 2005. After high school I moved on to Cal Poly to study mechanical engineering. While at Cal Poly I maintained a 3.2 GPA while taking an average course load of 20 units per quarter. In the four quarters I spent at Cal Poly I completed my lower division engineering course work including math, physics, chemistry, statics, and manufacturing. After my fourth quarter at Cal Poly I transfered to UC Davis to be with my high school sweetheart.
My engineering coursework at Davis has included several classes on combustion and thermodynamics. In contrast to the "learn by doing" motto of Cal Poly, many of the courses I took had a more theoretical approach often dealing solely in variables and focusing on analytical solutions to problems. Attending both schools has given me a unique educational experience combining the practical and the theoretical. The final course in mechanical engineering at UC Davis is a Senior Design Project.
Working with three other students I designed a manipulator arm to assist in the assembly of drum brakes on trucks. Because the sponsor we worked with is located in San Diego our team has had some difficulties acquiring the specifications for our project. However, we perserved and finished a complete detailed design with manufacturing instructions and reliability analysis. Whether the sponsor decides to use our design is still to be determined.
