Sean Szymanski
adventurer | athlete | engineer

I am Sean Szymanski. I grew up in Issaquah, Washington, a small suburb of Seattle. Part of an active family, I spent much of my time growing up exploring the outdoors with my friends and family, quickly becoming a part of what some might consider to be the Seattle stereotype, in love with the outdoors. As a young adult, I filled my life with sports and adventures, thrilled by new experiences.

 

Yet, from an early age, my parents pushed my curiosity, and as I continued to grow, I excelled in school. My success fueled as much from my curiosity to learn as my desire to set myself up for a better future. Over the years, I continued to push myself, moving from topic to topic, searching for a subject that satisfied my curiosity, eventually settling in the world of engineering.

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Engineering combined the creativity and curiosity I felt in school with the physical world I had come to know and love. I was hooked. Spending my week days in a sea of motors, wires, and aluminum, and my weekends in a forest of evergreens, I had found my calling. The last two years of high school passed quickly, and soon I was starting a new chapter of my life.

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Olin is certainly not a traditional engineering school. As a freshman, I was daunted, afraid that I couldn't rise to the level of my esteemed peers, concerned that I wasn't prepared. Yet, while at school, my confidence grew, and  my long weeks and late nights paid off. I settled into my place as a mechanical engineering student. Through four internships, I gained a taste of the professional world, and was ready to become an engineer.

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Since graduating, I have joined Jetoptera where I currently work as lead engineer, pushing the boundaries of aircraft propulsion. It's been a long journey, but every day has been an adventure.

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Of course, on my journey to become an engineer, I haven't lost track of my roots. Now, I spend more time than ever playing sports, going on adventures, and visiting my family and friends. I can't wait to keep pushing my boundaries, in engineering and beyond.​