Senior Year Reflection

Big news! I'll be spending this summer as a Software Engineering Intern at Google in Boulder, Colorado. I'll also be continuing my academic journey through an accelerated Master's in Computer Science at University of Nebraska–Lincoln, with graduation planned for Spring 2027.

For the last four years, I have been chasing a dream. A dream where I can compete at a high level in my sport, learn from the best in my profession, and work at a company where my contributions are valued, recognized, and impactful. At the time, I would have said I simply wanted to run fast and make a lot of money doing what I'm good at. The ambition is still the same; only my perspective has changed.

At the beginning of this journey, I was undeniably at the bottom. I was objectively a pretty bad walk-on at a Big Ten university and had taken only one computer science course in my entire life, yet I was confident in what I could become. At the time, I would have been the first athlete in my honors program to make it to graduation. There was constant uncertainty and pressure from both the academic and athletic sides about whether I could perform at a high level in both, but I knew I wanted to try.

Balancing the two has not been easy and has not come without sacrifices. I've competed at the Big Ten Championships during finals week. I've practiced alone five days a week for an entire semester just to make my class schedule work. I've taken work meetings in locker rooms, on buses, in airports, and in hotel hallways. I've sacrificed sleep to run too many miles before the sun rises just to fit my training in with my internship schedule. Countless times, I considered walking away from one of these pursuits just to take some weight off my shoulders.

But I managed. I balanced more than 16 credits for four straight semesters while working part time and traveling for athletics. I did it because I cared about both. I wanted both. I was passionate about both. And because both were part of the same dream.

Throughout this journey, I've gotten lucky. I've been given opportunities I didn't fully deserve yet, support I hadn't yet earned, and chances that changed the trajectory of my life. None of this happened alone.

I want to thank the Raikes School for accepting me despite my lack of a computer science background, and for equipping me with the collaboration, communication, and interdisciplinary skills that allowed me to thrive in interviews and internships. I am going to graduate from that program with the skills and confidence to turn ideas into action.

I want to thank Andrew Boellstorff and Chris Stevenson for their mentorship during my year at Speedway Motors. They took a chance on a student with no professional experience and trusted him with real responsibility. They gave me independence and meaningful work, space to make mistakes, learn quickly, and grow not just as a software developer, but as a learner and as a person. My time at Speedway Motors is what truly shaped the professional I am today.

I also want to thank Jesus Rangel and Ryan McGlaughlin for the support and mentorship they provided during my summer at Garmin. They trusted me with an impactful project and full ownership, something most interns never experience. That challenge forced me to make informed decisions, clearly communicate my work to both technical and non-technical coworkers, and take real accountability for the outcomes. It gave me confidence in my ability to operate as an engineer, not just a student.

I want to thank Marcelo Silva and Keilyn Murrell for their guidance throughout the interview process at Google and for believing in my potential before it was obvious on paper.

Lastly, I want to thank my coaches, Matthew Wackerly and Megan Elliott, for their constant support and understanding as I've balanced these commitments. They believed in me long before I ever believed in myself.

Over the last few months of reflection, I've slowly realized that in chasing this dream, I forgot to step back and recognize that I'm already living it. Writing this has made one thing clear to me: I still have so much room to grow, but I also need to be proud of where I am. I've spent years being relentlessly critical of myself in the pursuit of improvement, and at times that has made it hard to fully appreciate just how far I've come.

This summer, I'll be learning from some of the best in my profession at Google, working on applications used by millions of people every day. In my final semesters of eligibility, I've put myself in a position where it's genuinely possible to finish on multiple Top 10 lists at University of Nebraska, cementing a legacy that will live on long after I leave the program. These experiences aren't just milestones; they are the foundation for the kind of engineer, athlete, and leader I want to become.

More importantly, I'll spend these next few months traveling with some of my closest friends, competing in the sport I love, and making memories that will last a lifetime. From a walk-on with no computer science background to someone standing on the edge of my dreams, I'm proud of how far I've come — and I'm just getting started.