“As part of the inaugural class, our exams and projects were reviewed for the accreditation of the program so it added importance knowing that our work would determine if Quinnipiac engineering would be accredited or not,” said Powers.

Powers feels as if his foundation of engineering knowledge was successfully laid out during his time at Quinnipiac, he explained.

“Moving into my professional career I felt extremely well prepared by what professors had taught us,” he said. “Even more prepared than other college graduates I was working with who had come from large, established programs.”

Along with acquiring engineering knowledge and experiences through his classes, Powers also met his girlfriend on their first day of freshman year in the course Engineering 101. They now reside in San Diego and are grateful that Quinnipiac brought them together.

While on campus, Powers also got involved in campus life by participating in extracurricular activities like Student Government Association and Greek Life.

For current and future college students, Powers says it’s important to explore different internships and shadowing opportunities to get a better idea of what career path one would want to take.

Once graduated, Powers was working as a mechanical engineer but felt like something was missing which prompted him to come back to Quinnipiac to get his MBA. Now working as a supply chain program manager, he encourages other graduates to explore a variety of careers they’re interested in.

“Once you get your first job, don’t ever feel that you’re locked into that type of job forever,” said Powers. “If you like what you’re doing, great, but if you feel like you might be more interested in something else, don’t hesitate to try it.”

Powers explained that even those with no direct link to engineering and technology are affected by it and that students should consider a career in the field.

“Engineering fields are at the forefront of technology, so there are so many different opportunities for any student who majors in engineering,” he said. “Beyond conventional engineering jobs, most technology companies hire engineers into non-engineering roles whether it’s in the supply chain, project management, or operations.”

For those transitioning from their college experience to their professional lives after college, Powers has the following advice:

“As a college student, the work you do is pretty much up to you alone,” he said. “Outside of group projects, typically your grades solely rely on you. Out in the real world, it’s much less individualistic. The people you surround yourself with can make or break you and helping out other people is just as important as your regular job duties.”