Finishing my undergraduate education in three years allowed me to pursue two different opportunities. I served as a volunteer missionary in Japan where I met my wife. I also completed a research fellowship at the CDC in Atlanta. Both of these experiences have greatly influenced my life and my future career. As an undergraduate student, I was able to take a diverse course load. In addition to my biomedical engineering courses, I studied the Japanese language, Russian literature and continued to perform in orchestra. I was able to learn a wealth of information about a number of varied topics. I was also able to participate in extracurricular activities such as a rhythm and dance group (similar to Blue Man Group or STOMP) called Boomshaka. If not for HPME, I would not have had the schedule flexibility to participate. The research I performed on global health technologies as an undergrad biomedical engineering student inspired me to get a master's in public health. I will choose to pursue a career in public health or academic preventive research as a direct result of the opportunities that were available to me as an HPME student. | 
