Name: Gabriel Altman
Program: Bachelor's-Accelerated-Masters (BAM); Traditional Master of Science
My Path to Engineering
Many years ago, I got a degree from a liberal arts school in Florida. This didn’t lead to the career options I had hoped for so I spent a number of years working in the trades - I worked in welding shops, machine shops, as a bicycle mechanic, and as a bicycle tour guide for companies with interesting tours, including one that had a tour that went from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa. I also worked for fire rescue in Florida as Emergency Medical Services. Somewhere along the lines I got a Masters in Horticultural Science from the University of Florida. Similar to the liberal arts degree, this really didn’t lead to the career opportunities I wanted. Eventually, I did some self reflection and decided that I had always wanted to study engineering. Growing up in upstate New York, the hometown heroes were always the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute engineers. I always dreamed of playing hockey for the Engineers but realized I was bad at ice skating so I am doing engineering without ice hockey. After life events happened, I decided to see what the most challenging thing was that I was capable of doing and leave nothing untried and go in and see if I really had the dedication to succeed as an engineering student and become an engineer. So I enrolled at a community college in southern Florida, Palm Beach State College. I went down to take a math assessment on the computer and the results were that I needed to repeat high school mathematics. I then enrolled in a number of math classes there and it turns out, if you go to class, do all the homework assignments, ask for help when you need it, and study very hard - you can do very well. I was a straight A student at Palm Beach and then began looking for a school where I could get a bachelor's degree in engineering. I knew I wanted to go to a state school where I could qualify for in-state tuition as well as a school that had a reputation of having excellent academics when it came to engineering. I also wanted to live in a town where I could get around on my bike instead of having to drive. I applied to many colleges and got into them all but when I came to Boulder and my friend gave me a tour, I decided this is where I want to go. I sent in my application and despite a few setbacks, I powered through and received my bachelors degree from CU Boulder in Electrical Engineering in May 2022.
Why CU Boulder?
I think engineering was the hardest thing I could think of to study. I was not a very good math student in high school and I was looking for academic redemption. A big part of it is, I love science, machines, and understanding how/why things work. That is why I loved working in welding shops, machine shops, and being a bike mechanic. Electrical components always seemed like a bit of a mystery to me. It was a personal challenge, I wanted to try the hardest thing I could and see if I could actually do it in the end. I was looking for a profession where I felt I had accomplished something truly profound. To me, engineering encompasses a very high level of professional accomplishment. As an undergraduate, you learn a lot of fundamentals with theory and background but graduate school is where you really learn a lot more of the nitty gritty details of actually specializing in this and building things. To me, everything to do with radios is almost magic in a way. Everything depends on RF now and I want to know how it works.
Graduate school will make me stand out as a candidate when applying to jobs because it will indicate to employers that I have a lot of expertise in the area. I really love it here and it provides an opening towards long term financial stability and career satisfaction. There will always be challenges in engineering and my job will always require me to study and learn more. I am a lifelong learner and can not imagine life without being required to learn all the time.
What is the most interesting thing you learned or explored during your time in the program?
I would say my favorite class is the undergraduate sophomore elective called Wireless Communications for Electrical Engineers. You built a small ham radio transmitter and I finally felt like I was really doing it. There were all these complicated circuits and lab equipment that I had no idea how it worked but we got through it. My second favorite class was PCB Design with Professor Bogatin. This is when I finally started designing and making my own hardware and I had something in my hand that I had designed and it worked. That was a big stepping off point.
What do you hope to do after you finish your degree?
Other than finally being able to enjoy my weekends fully, my hope is to work for a company where my job isn’t stagnant. I want there to always be new things to learn about and build. I would be very happy to see something I design and build actually be used.
I currently work with Professor Bogatin in the Senior Capstone lab as a Teaching Assistant. I definitely did not have a lot of teaching experience beforehand and have a lot to learn but it has been a wonderful experience for me. I love seeing the energy and enthusiasm of the students, I feel that I can relate to them as I just went through the same program as them.
I would love to stay in Colorado after I graduate and work for one of our many local Aerospace or RF companies. I would love to work in satellite communications as well.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing a degree at CU in electrical engineering?
If electrical engineering is your dream, never give up. No matter how many setbacks you have, do not leave the program.
When you’re not working/studying, what do you like to do?
I enjoy riding my bicycle, playing the banjo, and practicing martial arts.