{"id":274,"date":"2025-03-26T22:06:13","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T22:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/?p=274"},"modified":"2025-03-26T22:09:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T22:09:15","slug":"first-year-engineer-past-present-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/2025\/03\/26\/first-year-engineer-past-present-future\/","title":{"rendered":"First year engineer: past, present & future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meet Michael Acosta, a graduate of Oregon State’s mechanical engineering program currently in his first year on the job.<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Michael
Michael Acosta, Mechanical Engineering ’24<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Michael, currently a rotational engineer with Amentum at the Hanford Vit Plant in Richland, Wash. talks through where he’s been, what he’s doing now, and what he’s aiming for in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then: a passion for building led to mechanical engineering at OSU<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My joy for engineering started when I was younger and often played with Legos, tools, and general crafts. Back then, going through the process of designing and building my own structures, vehicles, and contraptions gave me such joy and sense of accomplishment. I often took part in events that involved designing and constructing things like wooden bridges, water powered rockets, and small robots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Michael,
Michael’s capstone research project<\/a> at Oregon State gave him the chance to work alongside plant engineers at Amentum and gain real-world experience solving challenging problems.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Further into my life I aimed to gain more knowledge towards engineering, and in high school I took many courses such as AP Physics, General Engineering, AP Calculus, and Machine Shop. With my interest and enjoyment of engineering ever growing, I applied to Oregon State University, was accepted, and started to build my school curriculum. In the end, I chose mechanical engineering<\/a> since it branched out to multiple fields like electrical, chemical, and even nuclear engineering which gave me insight into a variety of industries I could go into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now: solving problems as a Rotational Engineer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong>A day in the life of a recently graduated engineer can vary but for me it is full of problem solving, questions, brainstorming, teamwork, and bonding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I start my days waking up at 4:30 a.m. I get ready for work and take care of my dog Remi, and then head off to the Hanford Vit Plant<\/a>. I clock in and start my days catching up to what I missed during the night and prep myself for the morning meetings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n