Ideas that work
Junior FIRST LEGO League gave me an early place to explore how ideas become working systems. I liked the combination of problem-solving, teamwork, and testing.
A model, explained
In this childhood clip, I am showing how a model sailboat works. What held my attention was not just the finished boat, but the way the sail, frame, and moving pieces came together.
Looking beneath the surface
At maritime museums, I am usually drawn past the display case to the systems underneath—like this bathymetric map of the seafloor. I want to understand not only what vessels do, but how the marine world shapes their design.
Learning by sailing
Sailing made the water active rather than abstract. Small boats, cold weather, and changing conditions taught me to prepare, adapt, and take responsibility for the decisions I make.
Another view of the marine world
Scuba let me experience the marine environment from another direction. Training to dive safely made me even more attentive to equipment, procedures, and the systems people rely on in the water.
Discipline with a purpose
I joined the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps at nine and now serve as a Petty Officer First Class. Sea Cadets turned my maritime interest into a commitment to discipline, service, and being part of something larger than myself.
Passing skills forward
As I gained experience, I began helping younger cadets learn the skills I had once been taught. Leadership, to me, is not just holding a rank. It is being useful to the people beside you.
The thread is still here
Ships, boats, and maritime objects have followed me from childhood into the present. They are not decorations added for an application. They are the record of an interest that kept growing with me.