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Sean Fearon

Major: Mechanical Engineering ’19 Position: Ski Development Engineer at K2 Skis

Gabe Rodriguez

Sean Fearon, Mechanical Engineering ’19, works at K2 Skis, where he prototypes skis within the R&D facility and models flex profiles and shapes of skins. “In general it’s a lot of hands-on work getting to learn how to use the different manufacturing equipment and actually molding the skis you’re designing,” Fearon said.

Fearon initially started working in a small aerospace company in Seattle because he hadn’t heard back from K2 Skis after having applied their during his college career. “I took a job with a small aerospace company in Seattle, near where K2 was headquartered,” Fearon said. “I was at that company for about a month before I got an interview with K2 and eventually offered the job!”

Despite having accepted an aerospace position, Fearon shared he was hoping to work for K2 Skis. “It was really nerve racking for me to throw myself at this [K2 Skis] job and rely on that option so heavily but I couldn’t be happier where I ended up, and I think that true passion—and a whole lot of luck and help from my professors—is what got me where I am today!”

Fearon also discussed how his first job helped him to realize what he didn’t want within a career. “I knew I wanted to work somewhere that allowed me to be hands on,” Fearon said. “I had been at a company where you didn’t get to interact too much with your parts during an internship and I really didn’t like that much.”

Fiona Wohlfarth

Major: Mechanical Engineering ‘15 Position: Level II Test Engineer at Medtronic

Israel Miles

Fiona Wohlfarth, Mechanical Engineering ’15, went on to become a Level II Test Engineer at Medtronic. In her career in medical software, Wohlfarth travels across the country to demonstrate her ongoing projects. “I develop and execute testing protocols for a software platform that’s used for brain, spine, ear, nose and throat surgeries,” Wohlfarth said. “I collaborate with software developers, systems engineers and quality engineers to determine the requirements that need to be met for FDA approval. I then travel the country to facilitate surgeries on cadavers to determine if the product is satisfactory for the customer’’. 

While Wohlfarth has become an established professional in her current role, she now wants to explore new experiences in medical teaching. “I’m still working at the job that I got immediately after graduation,” Wohlfarth said. “And after 4.5 years of doing this, I’m looking to move into more of a facilitation kind of role, possibly in medical education/training within Medtronic. I like my current job – it has given me a lot of exposure to different aspects of the engineering world and has shown me areas of work that really fuel me. Now I’m able to chase the path that I have determined to really keep me motivated and energized, so it’s a super positive transition that I’m very excited about.”

Wohlfarth quickly learned that a degree in mechanical engineering gives you a broad skill set, but a specialized career tends to materialize with experience and time. “When you graduate with a Mechanical Engineering degree, it can be tough because you don’t really specialize in anything like the other engineering majors do,” said Wohlfarth. “MechE’s seem to get a little exposure to everything, but not really deep-dive into anything. It made me nervous that I wouldn’t know anything well enough to do well in any particular job. Everything that you need to know is learned on the job, so it wasn’t an issue at the end of the day, but it’s definitely something that I struggled with during the job search itself.” 

When it comes to finding a dream job, Wohlfarth advises students to be bold and focus on matching strengths instead of missing bullet points. “Step outside your comfort zone and try something new,” said Wohlfarth. “Also, do not be intimidated by the required qualifications that job postings have. Those postings are looking for the ‘purple squirrels’ (a weird term that I heard someone use recently), i.e. the insanely unrealistic, ideal candidate. I think so many of us read those qualifications and will choose to not apply for a position if we see that we don’t match one of the line items, even if we match the other nine. If you meet more than 50% of what is listed in that criteria, then you’d absolutely be considered for that job. This was something that really blew my mind when I learned about it, so I make sure to tell as many people as I can.”

Unexpected Lessons From Mechanical Engineering

Aidan Stearns

Sarah Brondum studied Mechanical Engineering at CU ��«����Ƶ, said the engineering program at CU taught her how to learn, specifically, how to teach herself new concepts she doesn’t have a sufficient grasp on and to work hard at learning those.  Like many college students, she was concerned about finding a job that could support her financially and that she also enjoyed. She may have found the best of both worlds. 

Brondum worked as a Mountain Safety Attendant at Breckenridge Ski Resort, which is a subdivision of ski patrol. Her department helps enforce the skier’s responsibility code. This primarily includes giving educational talks to guests who are new to the sport. Additionally, they assist patrol occasionally, for example by creating a boundary between guests and an injured patient when ski patrol is assisting on the slopes. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, Brondum lost her job at Breckenridge Resort. She had an interview with a previous employer for a contractor position and hopes to get financial security during these uncertain times. She’s hoping she’ll get the contractor position and be able to work remotely so even while stuck at home, she can continue to balance work and play. 

In addition to Brondum’s prior work with Mountain Safety and her pursuits to obtain a contractor position, she’s starting a new business venture. Brondum and her partner are creating a web and mobile application that connects outdoor users to outdoor nonprofits based on personal interests. For example, volunteering or donating to ��«����Ƶ Climbing Community would be suggested to a user in ��«����Ƶ interested in climbing. Her venture is called Bevara, meaning “to preserve” in Swedish. Brondum is currently competing in the New Venture Challenge at CU and looking towards other funding options. Bevara has been doing well thus far and she hopes to continue to give back to the outdoor spaces she uses. 

When Brondum graduated from CU, she assumed she would simply get a job in order to pay the bills. She quickly discovered she wasn’t passionate about what she was doing. Additionally, she was struggling with her mental health and it affected her work. Post-graduation, she decided to take a “break” and work at Breckenridge instead of jumping right into the traditional workforce. Launching Bevara just happened to work out perfectly. 

The question remains, has Brondum found the best of both worlds? In her mind, the answer is a resounding yes. Her advice for engineering students worrying about entering the real world is simple: trust your gut. Brondum says while money is an important factor, “Don’t force yourself to do something you don’t want to do…Get a job if you need a job and financial security, but never stop seeking out what you truly love.” Reflecting on her experience in the Mechanical Engineering Department at CU, Brondum has concluded that it was the best degree she could’ve gotten for herself. “The life lessons and skills I learned throughout [my time at CU] have been priceless postgraduation,” she said.