Nathan joins Six D as a co-op this term. He attends the University of Cincinnati where he is studying Aerospace Engineering. Nathan is in the third year of a five-year program and is set to graduate in 2026.
Let’s go one-on-one with Nathan to learn a little more about him.
Q: Hi Nathan. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in a town west of Chicago. We were close enough to have the cultural presence of the city on us but were far enough away to still have farmland everywhere. (I jokingly call my town the last town before corn.)
I had a very supporting family and caring friends all around me, both of which support me to this day. Throughout high school, I was in the top 10% of my graduating class interested in engineering and physics. I strive for perfection and my grades reflected that.
Outside of school I loved to golf for the team, even though I was not the best. I am a hard worker, and not (too) afraid to make mistakes. I love to learn and will take every moment to do so.
Q: Have you always been interested in Engineering/ Testing? What other career options did you consider along the way?
Yes, but in many different ways. From an early age, I was naturally curious about everything. One of my earliest memories was watching my dad pull up a carpet to linoleum divider and being so fascinated about it. Later, I liked to dismantle and put back together everything I could lay my hands on.
I still do this to this day and have recently taken apart a USB microphone to figure out a problem with it. From school, I had an engineering program that brought a creativity and desire to create anything I could. These desires to create and fix lead me to engineering and combined with my love for space.
Along the way however, I came to enjoy physics and math, and almost chose astrophysics major. I chose aerospace because I wanted a bit more hands-on work.
Q: What made you decide to co-op for 6D?
My first rotation I chose 6D because of their wide scope of abilities, and capabilities. From these, I would be able to learn a lot from them, including what the industry looks like on the floor or a production facility. They also mentioned that I would be on a project with an aerospace company.
My second rotation, I came back because I had so much more to learn. I learned a lot that first rotation, but I felt like I didn’t even scratch the surface too much. All in all, I came back for the people. I was always worried that I would be looked at as an intern who was there just to help, however the 6D team is better than that.
Instead of a “point and shoot” intern, I was given the freedom to have a task and think my way through it. I was always a part of the entire project process, and never left in the dark with my questions. I feel like I am a real part of the team here.
Q: What type of projects do you typically get involved with at 6D?
I typically get involved with instrumentation and testing projects here. If it has a gauge or sensor that needs to be attached, I am your guy. I love the hands-on work here, or on the go in the field.
Q: Have you gotten to travel as a part of this co-op experience? If so, where to?
I have had the honor to travel to quite a few different locations in my time here with 6D. My first project travel was to instrument a passenger bus up in northern Indiana area. That trip was something else and has been a great quotable experience with our team here.
My longest project was down, in Decatur Alabama, on that aforementioned aerospace project. That lasted my entire coop with prep work and on-site work. My most recent project is down in an Arizona copper mine testing an ore crusher. This one has been a lot of fun, for a multitude of reasons. In the end, my favorite was the Alabama trip.
Q: OK, last question. What do you enjoy doing away from work?
I enjoy the standard things, relaxing, hanging out with friends online, video games etc., but that’s not fun to talk about. I love to cook. It doesn’t matter what exactly I cook but I always enjoy it. Before I go on too long of a tangent, my favorite things to cook are Coconut Crème Brulé, and lemon asparagus pasta and last night I cooked a Quiche Lorrain, but it turned out understandably watery because I forgot to sauté the onion for long enough.
I also like to clean and organize to relax. I am unsure about what it is, but something about taking a mess that naturally happens and making it better again, feels so rewarding. That being said, I only enjoy it when it is a mess that I created myself, and not others neglecting to clean it up.
Finally, music. I love listening to all kinds of music and trying out new headphones. My favorite pair of headphones are my custom balanced Bose Quiet Comfort 35. I put a lot of time into fitting them to my own sense of hearing, and it was worth it.