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The combination of pursuing his dream of playing college baseball and helping to shape a new engineering major program is what initially attracted Evan Thomas to ����ֱ��.

The Class of 2025 member, who enjoys putting on a pair of skis or hopping on a snowmobile in the winter, is a huge fan of the experiential learning opportunities ����ֱ�� affords students right from the start of their college career.

“I love that in my major, even as a freshman, you’re getting hand-on experience right away," he explained. "One of the most enjoyable experiences that I’ve had here is the work I am doing at the O’Pake Institute with two STEAM-related companies. I really enjoy being able to help people come up with designs and prototypes. ����ֱ�� really teaches us about what happens in the real world of engineering and what to do to overcome problems that we may face.”

As a youth, Thomas was always attracted to building things and working with his hands. Though he isn’t sure exactly what facet of engineering he will pursue post-college, he does know that he will be prepared for whatever career he chooses because of what he’s learned at ����ֱ��.

For other students looking to enroll at ����ֱ��, Thomas said: “It really does feel like a big family here – especially within my major. Since there are so few of us we are super-close friends because we spend every day with each other. I’d also say not to be afraid of looking at ����ֱ��’s newer majors being started. In the future, you’ll be able to tell people you were one of the first students to graduate from that program, and that’s something not many people will be able to say.”