Engineering Students Welcome Visit from Alumni

Students in Alan Zollner’s Principles of Engineering class at Hendrick Hudson High School received a virtual visit from Class of 2020 graduate Matthew Klimek and five other engineering students. The Hendrick Hudson alumnus is currently working toward a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

For Klimek, the other RIT students, and the students in Principles of Engineering, which is part of Hendrick Hudson’s award-winning Project Lead the Way program, the visit was mutually beneficial. The high school students were able to gain insight into studying engineering in college and graduate school. Klimek, who serves as the president of the RIT Theme Park Enthusiasts’ Club, needed to fulfill an element of the club’s mission by providing outreach to prospective engineering students. Klimek contacted Zollner, his former physics and engineering teacher at Hendrick Hudson.

“I was delighted to have a former student put together a lesson for our current students,” Zollner said. “Our Principles of Engineering students here really enjoyed the opportunity to learn about how the principles they are learning in this class and physics are applied in the real world of theme park rides and career opportunities in the design, the manufacturing, and the maintenance of safe but thrilling rides.”

RIT’s Theme Park Enthusiasts’ Club competes in national theme park engineering design competitions each year. Through Google Meet, the high school students were able to interact with Klimek and his fellow RIT students.

“They were able to ask questions about how experiences in high school connected to their success in engineering at RIT,” Zollner said. “We are grateful that Matthew Klimek reconnected with us and wish him and his colleagues continued success in their exciting careers ahead.”