College of Engineering Student Stories

Meet Jordan

My heart has always been curious about how the world works and, in my opinion, nothing is more fascinating and frightening than electricity. I learned very early in my college career that electrical engineering was extremely important for all disciplines of science, and I knew that I wanted to give my all to advance our collective knowledge.

My time at UTA has been some of the greatest years of my life. After losing the ability to walk at the age of 19 I held onto hope that one day I would have a successful life with science at its core. I refused to give up and always kept my eyes on academics as I slowly recovered and re-entered the world.

Returning to college was a huge step and an amazing experience. I had to pick my life up and start from scratch at 26 with no real guarantee that my mind or body would be able to handle it. As I progressed through my degree and met many great professors and fellow students who believed in me, I grew more confident. I joined a research team and worked on prototyping neutrino detector modules. I have always loved math and science but being able to apply the concepts I have learned has evoked a passion that burns within me now. My spirit is now stronger than it ever was, and I owe so much of it to UTA, its professors, and my colleagues.

UTA and the College of Engineering have opened so many opportunities to grow and learn concepts that I would never encounter on my own. Seeing the ambition and skills of those around me pushes me to grow my own skills and knowledge. The interdisciplinary research has allowed me to adjust my perspective and think in ways that never occurred to me before. Collaboration truly brings out the best in us and establishes bonds that we will never forget.

I hope one day to earn my Ph.D. and become a professor so that I can inspire the next generation of engineers to solve the problems that we are uncovering today. Making real change in the world starts with education. I dream of a world where everyone has free access to information and the ability to communicate with others around the globe. A world where energy requirements are met cleanly and efficiently without destroying the life around us. I cannot think of anything more important to me than being a part of making the world a better place to live. I want to be an inspiration for those that have experienced great loss and want to know what is possible.