| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | My most memorable experiences as a child were probably playing at the creek behind my neighborhood when I was about nine. The neighborhood kids and I would catch frogs and build forts all day. We built rope swings, and dirt ramps for our bikes. It was always pretty fun from what I remember. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | Probably one of my uncles. We are very similar in many ways. He is also an engineer and he is very smart. We are both pretty calm during family vacations when there are upwards of thirty people in the same beach house. We are both big fans of just sitting on the beach and drinking a few beers. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I admire honesty. I'm a rather straightforward person and I expect people to be straightforward when talking to me. I also admire intelligence. Being a chemical engineer who is active in conducting research, I have the chance to come across some truly brilliant people. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | During my freshman year the group of students in my hall pulled all kinds of pranks on each other. I had a bottle of water with a hole in it near my bed so if someone came into my room and tried to mess with me while I was sleeping I could spray them. One snowy night I had a trash bin full of snow dumped on me while I was sleeping. Waking up I grabbed the water bottle the wrong way and started spraying myself while hopping off my raised bed onto a tile floor which was now covered in snow. I fell right on my rear while spraying myself in the face, covered in snow. It was hilarious. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | If I could only choose one place to travel to it would probably be some beach on some island. If I could, I would like to travel all over the world. Spend a few weeks absorbing what each new place has to offer. I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to new experiences. But if it's just one place it would have to be some warm beach with a cooler of beer. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I would probably like to pass on my values and my hardworking nature. My parents taught me a lot but they also allowed me the freedom to learn a lot on my own which I think is just as important. I was taught to work hard, but getting money after mowing my neighbors' lawns really made it stick. I would hope that they also have a similar sense of right and wrong. |
