Major: Mechanical Engineering
Minors: Math, French and Francophone Studies
Hometown: Erie, Pennsylvania
Scholarships: Behrend Excellence Award
On choosing Behrend: Behrend is a great school. The class sizes are small, so you get to know your professors well. Getting started with extracurriculars, research, or other campus opportunities is easier because you aren’t competing with thousands of other students. Also, Behrend is close to home, so I saved money by commuting.
On choosing his major: I wanted to go into some form of engineering or science. Mechanical engineering is very broad. You can go into a lot of different sectors—corporate, government or academic—and fields within those sectors after finishing the degree.
Awards and recognition: President’s Freshman Award, Dean’s List, First-Place Engineering Research Award at the Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference.
Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: Graduating with two minors, my Schreyer Honors thesis, three internships, and an internship project all coming to an end as I start a new chapter is extremely gratifying.
Campus involvement: I was part of the French and Francophone Club. I also worked as a tutor at the Learning Resource Center for about three years and was a lifeguard at Junker Center for a year.
What you might be surprised to know about him: I can ride a unicycle.
Words he lives by: “It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life,” JRR Tolkien. It is really easy to get caught up in your education or your career and start chasing pursuits that are not totally your own. It is also easy to stop pursuing something you love because of what others think. I think living a good life is living a simple life, where you do things you care about no matter how big or small they seem. Everyone has a different path.
Highest priority in coming years: I want to travel globally and continue to learn. I think I will go to graduate school within a decade.
Advice for first-year students: Study hard. Respond to your emails. Make sure to keep your professors updated via email. Make sure the email is sent and not stuck in the drafts folder. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help—Tutoring is free, and the tutors are wicked smart and patient.
Max plans to serve as a nuclear naval officer through the Nuclear Propulsion Candidate Program.