Interview with a COVID-19 College Grad

Lot's of people have lost their footing because of COVID-19, and I want to focus on a group we're not hearing so much about: 2020 College Grads.

So, I hit up my neighbor, Luke Drane. He's a great guy with a bright future ahead, but it's a challenging moment for this Texas Tech graduate.

So, if you know someone who might be able to help or connect Drake, how about tagging them in the comments?

Here's our "micro" interview (thanks Eddie Shleyner!)

1. What's it like to graduate in 2020?

Chaotic is probably the best word to describe it. Suddenly all the internships are gone and so many jobs gone. I was starting to look forward to commencement and all that, which I hadn't been thinking much about, leading up to it. It was just starting to feel like a good way to recognize all that work.

2. How are you feeling about the future?

I'm trying to be a realist. I know the odds aren't as good as they were before, but I'm still trying to put myself out there and talk to people. The good thing about a Mechanical Engineering degree is that it can be applied in many different areas.

3. If you could start tomorrow with any company or industry, which one would you choose?

Aerospace would be amazing. There are opportunities in so many different areas there for Engineers, like I mentioned before. Everything from Design to Facilities to Quality Control. I'm pretty open to the industries and companies I could start with though.

4. What kinds of problems do you gravitate toward or enjoy the most?

I like design related stuff. One of my college projects was team based and I enjoyed coming up with designs and then getting change requests and being challenged to come up with even better designs. 

5. Engineers can sometimes get saddled with the perception that they don't work well with others. How do you compensate for that?

I actually like working in teams. I enjoy dividing up the responsibilities according to strengths and coordinating them to see what we can come up with. I try to be open with others and accept it when I'm off the mark. To me, the important part about working with a team is not to wait for others to hold you accountable. I try to put those expectations on myself.

6. One last important question: What's the best place for pizza in Lubbock, Texas (home of Texas Tech)?

You can't go wrong with One Guy From Italy!

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