Alexander Ruhl
Hometown:
Ridgewood, NJ
M&TSI Year:
2018
WHY DID YOU APPLY TO TAKE PART IN M&TSI?
From drafting marketing plans in DECA to building a car with my dad, business and engineering have always been my passions. After watching a few episodes of Shark Tank, I recognized the need for business and engineering in most companies, especially start-ups. As I sought to pursue both of these fields at a collegiate level, I thought the only way to combine these two fields in college was to major in one and minor in the other. Which one? I could not decide.
After some research and a discussion with an M&T alumnus, I became aware of M&TSI and the possibilities offered by a Program suited both of my passions. I decided to apply to M&TSI to delve deeper into the crossroads of business and engineering in an academic setting and see if this combination was truly something I loved.
HOW DID M&TSI HELP YOU IDENTIFY FUTURE ACADEMIC OR CAREER GOALS?
Prior to M&TSI, I attended multiple summer programs; however, none of them enlightened me quite like M&TSI. I truly fell in love with the wealth of knowledge provided by the world-renowned professors and guest speakers at M&TSI. Due to this, I plan on pursuing a coordinated dual-degree program between business and engineering in the future.
Not only did M&TSI reinforce my academic goals, it assisted me in recognizing the career opportunities I might pursue in the future. The trip to NYC opened my eyes to the opportunities and resources available in the professional world to combine engineering and business. I still plan on becoming an entrepreneur; however, now I will explore using incubators, introduced to me at M&TSI, to help start my second company.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE M&TSI EXPERIENCE?
The students, RTAs, and professors made M&TSI a phenomenal educational experience, one that has created everlasting memories and reshaped the way I think. My favorite component of M&TSI was meeting and becoming friends with so many like-minded, driven, and thoughtful individuals, thus creating a unique experience not to be forgotten. The group project provided an opportunity for myself and my peers to contribute our unique skill sets to create a business plan and a working prototype. It was such a great experience to meet, work and connect with so many wonderful people from such vast backgrounds. One of my fondest memories was staying up late on the last night with other M&TSIers not to study, but to bond with each other and not waste the precious time we had left at camp.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY UP TO?
Upon returning from M&TSI, I began my research regarding e-cigarettes, vapes, and Juuls and their impacts on adolescents. In my research, I have been able to apply engineering and statistical concepts learned from M&TSI to improve data collection and create a survey to be issued to quantify the statistics about Juuling and vaping among youth. Furthermore, I have used the Lean Startup method, learned at M&TSI, to create my own company that I plan on expanding in future years. In addition, as a NJ DECA State Officer, I am continuing to plan for the upcoming DECA year as well as manage our significant state budget.