KEVIN GUAMAN
Mechanical Engineering
Why Weber State?
I was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador and arrived in Utah in 2015 to pursue my dream of becoming a Mechanical Engineer in the USA. I started my higher education in a community college in central Utah and was very lucky that in the Fall of 2018, Weber opened the Mechanical Engineering bachelor degree because that semester, I needed to transfer to a 4-year program to be able to become an engineer. Why Weber State? Weber opened the doors to me when others had closed, I had heard the education level was excellent and when I first visited the Ogden campus I fell in love and wanted to achieve my dream there. The campus is beautiful, you will find everything you need and as a mountain biker I couldn't ask for more by having some incredible mountains and trails right behind campus.
Why Mechanical Engineering?
I chose Mechanical Engineering because I am a curious person and I need to know how and why things work the way they do. By the end of high school I developed a big passion for mathematics because it gave me a sense of truth, and allowed me to understand problems at a deeper level. My mountain bike also played a big role since I was always wondering how engineers design such a complex and dynamic structure and why bike manufacturers choose specific materials like an aluminum alloy or carbon fiber over other materials, how the suspensions works, how the hydraulic brakes work and deal with heat dissipation. Once I started college, I was more than glad I had chosen that path because it helped me answer those questions I had about my mountain bike. It also allowed me to explore and understand more complex concepts such as aerodynamics, 3D modeling and simulation, fluid mechanics, and even concepts for computer programming, electrical engineering, control systems and many more
Advice (what you would share with future students):
Do your best to get rid of procrastination; things just get harder and there is less time to catch up as you progress in the degree. Build a portfolio early (sophomore) and constantly work on your resume. The biggest lesson I got from transitioning as a student to an engineer is that in the "real world" the most important things are experience and networking. And last but not least, take advantage of career advising at Weber, especially Kim in the engineering department. I learned from her how to build my resume and how to get ready for an interview and thanks to those skills, I was able to get internships that ultimately turned into a full time salaried position as an engineer, which was the dream from the beginning.
Where are you now?
I graduated with my Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in April 2021 and started working as a Design Engineer in May 2021 at a company called Chromalox designing industrial electric heaters.