When considering colleges, Craig chose Geneva because he believed that there were benefits to studying in a Christian environment. He desired an education where he would get the individual attention directly from professors. In addition, Craig wanted a school with a soccer team that he could be a part of all four years of college.
It was Craig’s father who directed him to engineering. Craig soon found his field of study very challenging: “I did feel challenged at Geneva on several fronts and knew immediately that I was not in high school anymore with regards to academics and sports.” Craig explains that he was also challenged to grow in his faith. “Spiritually, we were encouraged to become involved with various campus groups and get plugged into a church locally, which challenged nagging selfish desires arising out of my new-found freedom living on my own.”
Great challenges require great support and mentorship. Craig recalls, “One of the earliest positive impacts I had upon arriving at Geneva was from a senior on our soccer team by the name of Brian Verbrugge. He was quite the role model, being rather comfortable in his own skin while serving the Lord in many ways around campus. I also found staff members at Geneva very approachable and encouraging to students, a host of which I still enjoy catching up with now more than a decade after graduating. One of the most significant impacts while at Geneva came from my mechanical engineering professor Dr. Richard Harwood. He noticed my enthusiasm for diverse problem-solving techniques I was learning in my multi-discipline engineering courses, along with my keen interest in innovation and conversing about the same.”
Craig’s hard work and determination during college would bring him a foundation that would carry him through future challenges. “I was very well prepared academically, but more importantly, better informed about purpose and direction I should seek further. Another challenge I quickly ran into was attending law school as an engineer, for which I was also well prepared given the liberal arts approach to the engineering curriculum at Geneva. Every year I was taking coursework requiring me to write papers and learn broadly, digesting scripture, culture and the arts.”
Craig’s profession today continues to challenge him. He describes the day-to-day activities of his new profession as “very time intensive, although rewarding in that I am often asked to solve difficult problems for people who cannot solve them on their own.” He adds, “Many of the daily tasks of my job involve devising strategies and providing advice and solutions to technology company executives for ensuring they are apprised of the risks and opportunities that relate to their innovations.”
Craig offers this advice to students who are entering college: “Think broadly about your future and endeavor to align your career path with your gifts, as well as how you are motivated to use those gifts. Seek out people who can help you accurately decipher these insights, as they are lifelong assets that will serve you well. The old adage still rings true: ‘A person who enjoys what they do will never have to work a day in their life.’”
Even though his career path has changed, and academics and life have been challenging, Craig is happy about the college choice he made over ten years ago. “As I had hoped, choosing a school where professors are called to serve Christ through educating and getting to know their students on some level paid off in ways I could not have imagined.”
by Micah Yarger ’12