So, I know I haven't posted anything on here since just after the summer of 2012, but now is a good of a time as ever to make a change!

So much has happened within that period of time it is hard to believe.  I have learned a ton about a lot of different things, academic as well as just life in general.

As far as academics go, this is my last year at BYU.  I am  almost graduated from the mechanical engineering program and I can hardly even believe that I made it through.  It has been a very interesting experience for me to say the least.  Most of the experience has been incredibly difficult, but that is actually one of the factors that motivated me to pick this course of study.  Sometime in the second year of my schooling here I looked at all of the classes that were required for the major and I remember thinking, "Man, it would be cccrrrazy if I actually made it through this beast of a major!"  So, as strange as it may sound, the difficulty/challenge of the program made me want to do it, just to prove to myself that I can do hard things if I put my mind to them.  So, during each semester I am usually not too thrilled about the difficulty of my studies, but when each semester is over, and the last final is finally taken care of, I always feel overwhelmed with all of the new knowledge I have gained about how the world that I live in operates.  Regardless of how much struggling I have had to go through, I would never give up all of the knowledge gained through struggling day after day without giving up.

Honestly, I don't even care that I'm graduating in mechanical engineering; what I do care about is what I have learned as I have gone through the process.  I have learned a life skill that will never let me down.  I have learned that when I am faced with a challenge that seems insurmountable (like rocket science, applied thermodynamics,  or neuromechanics) all I have to do is relax, take a deep breath, get to work, and most importantly, rely upon the help of the Savior and take it one day at a time.  Solely improving that skill day after day is worth all of the hours I have spent working towards this piece of paper that is envied by so many.  I think it is cool and sad at the same time - sad because a lot of times I think engineering can be super boring (mechanics of materials and machine design - "how much stress can this bolt hold before it yields?"), but cool because of what I just got done saying in this paragraph.

I have struggled with various problems in my life that have seemed impossible to tackle (and they are on my own) and I feel like the skills that I am learning in my schooling are helping me with my discipline in my life (overcoming the "natural man"), as well as helping to hone my perseverance to help me when times get hard.

Speaking of my studies, this year has been the most rewarding by FAR.  Each year the seniors in mechanical engineering participate in a "Capstone" program where they are given a project to work on for both semesters (8 months).  I am the luckiest person in the world and got my first choice - I am working on building/designing a neonatal ventilator for developing countries (we are aiming for Africa first, and then the Philippines).  The project was started last year, and this year we are trying to finish it up and get it ready for animal testing, and then human testing, and finally mass production and implementation.  Anyways, I am sooooo grateful to be a part of the team (7 engineering students - 6 ME and 1 Manufacturing engineering).  The class is every day M-F from 8-10 AM for both semesters, but I have never been so glad to wake up for an 8 o' clock class.  Besides the students working on the project, we work with 2 local doctors (neonatologists) (Dr. Erik Gerday and Dr. Ken Richardson) and our project leader (Jim Trent - the most awesome guy in the world - seriously).  Today when Dr. Gerday came to work with us (he comes like once or twice a month to help us out) we made a SUPER IMPORTANT discovery that helped us fix a problem we were having with CO2 gas exchange.  It turned out that Dr. Gerday had thought the ventilator had been designed a certain way (because it appeared to be functioning correctly from a first glance), but after further inspection, it became apparent that there was something fundamentally wrong with the design that greatly hindered the ability for the neonate (baby) to purge the carbon dioxide from its' lungs.  Anyways, we are making great progress in getting the machine ready for animal testing. We have figured out oxygen mixing, sourcing a stand for the machine, redesigning the circuit board (with surface mounted components), and much much more. The bottom line is this project has the potential to save hundred of thousands of lives (if not millions), and I cannot wait to see it firsthand operating in the real world (there is a super-slight chance of a field trip to Africa next year some time).

I will post more, but I have to be working on this ventilator in about 8 hours from now so I better get some rest!  I will talk later about more things that have been happening in my life.

Until next time,

Spencey Wencey the Great