Background

I was born in Mission Viejo California. As a child, I would always take things apart to see what made them tick. Sometimes, to the dismay of my family, my disassembly of a household gadget would mean its untimely demise. However, most times it was the opposite case. Fortunately, I grew up in a household that fostered that curiosity, and around the age of 11, I was given an empty computer tower as a gift from my father. I was able to scavenge the required hardware from old computers and friends whose parents worked in the computer industry. I'll never forget the day I got it to boot up. Throughout middle and high school, this passion for building and tinkering would continue. Later, through months of saving, was able to muster enough to purchase a nitro-powered remote-controlled car. Over the following months, I would spend more time fixing it than driving it. However, the constant tinkering on what was essentially a miniaturized truck gave me real-world lessons on suspension systems, two-cycle engines, drivetrains, and radio-controlled systems. This passion would grow to the point that by the end of high school I would find myself replacing the transmission of an old truck I bought off a neighbor for $500.