Donald Hackworth
Class of 2006
Dual Major:
Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering
Monroeville, Pa.
Behrend brought me out of my shell. It is here that I really learned how to be an adult and how to take control of my own life.
At Penn State Behrend, Don Hackworth vaulted to success both literally and figuratively.
“I was a varsity pole vaulter for the track and field team for four years, and during that time I set both the indoor and outdoor school records, qualified provisionally for the NCAA National Meet, and earned All-ECAC honors. When I returned to Behrend for a fifth year to finish my double major, NCAA regulations prohibited me from competing, so I’ve been working as an assistant coach for track and field.”
While Don won’t single out a favorite professor (“I can’t pick just one. They’ve all taught me valuable skills.”), he doesn’t have any problem choosing his two favorite courses, Advanced Digital Design and Embedded Systems. “I enjoyed these computer engineering courses because they involved a lot of hands-on work and lab time. They allowed me to see a project through from idea phase to completion.”
When he started looking at colleges, Don knew he wanted a Penn State engineering degree, “but I didn’t want to be in the mix with 40,000 students. When I got to Behrend it was a welcoming environment. I know I’ve made lifelong friendships with other students, and with some of my professors. I’ve had countless opportunities to further myself in my career and personal interests.”
One such opportunity came from Don’s four-year job as a student tour guide in the Office of Admissions, showing the campus off to high school seniors. He so impressed one prospective student’s mother—a vice president at Westinghouse—that she arranged for him to have a job interview that turned into a job offer. After graduation, Don will begin work in the Westinghouse Energy Center’s nuclear reactor protection program.
And he’s already planning his next leap: “I’ll also either go for my M.B.A., or my master’s in engineering. I haven’t decided yet.”