Nolan Sedegan
Student, Class of 2026
Hometown
Longmont, Colorado
sedegan_nolan

Extracurricular Activities

I intend to join the OTR Formula team at some point in the future.

A Little Bit About Me

I was born and raised in Longmont, Colorado, which is about twenty minutes out from Boulder. I've always had an interest in becoming an engineer, as my grandfather, uncle, and cousin, all of whom I am pretty close with, are all engineers. Because of them, when I entered high school, I ended up joining a FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team, which I was on for all four years of high school. I was on the fabrication sub-team, where I got to further explore my love for engineering by learning how to use mills, lathes, and various other kinds of machinery to fabricate parts. My last year on the team ended with us winning the world championship, which was definitely one of the highlights of my life. I have now come to Oregon Tech to pursue my dream of becoming an engineer!

Why I Chose Oregon Tech and My Major

I chose mechanical engineering as my major because it's something that I've had an interest in ever since I was little. I love seeing how things in the world work, as well as having the means to build new things to fulfill tasks that nothing else that I have can. I chose Oregon Tech because I heard about how their curriculums are very hands-on, and with my passion for engineering, a hands-on approach is helpful to me.

My Influential Professors

The professors who have had the most profound impact on me thus far have been my Writing 111 professor Indy Recker and my General Chemistry 202 professor Kaitlin Knapp. They both have been extremely helpful both inside and outside of the classroom. They both find ways to teach the class as a whole but also find the time to go more in-depth on a personal level and help me out when I'm struggling to understand a concept fully. They also keep me engaged in class by taking the time to let us unwind and have a little bit of fun, which ultimately helps me focus much more and provide a higher quality of work.

My Greatest Learning Experience At Oregon Tech

My greatest learning experience here at Oregon Tech so far has been through labs and my on-campus job. These both have put me in scenarios in which I have to take what I learned in the classroom/training and apply it to real-life scenarios, which has been immensely helpful for me to see how everything I'm learning applies and can be used in the real world.

My Plans After Graduation

Currently, I only have a general direction that I want to go in after I graduate. I want to go into a field that involves either space travel and exploration or renewable energy. I love the concept of exploring the cosmos, so if I can find a way to contribute to that cause, I'd like to. Renewable energy also interests me greatly, and I'd one day love to find more optimal ways of powering the society that we live in with renewable resources.