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Andrew Skerratt did not anticipate graduating with an electrical engineering degree from ��ݮӰ��.

When he first arrived, ��ݮӰ�� did not even offer electrical engineering. Instead, Skerratt says he planned to attend ��ݮӰ�� for its community and biblical teaching and pursue engineering later.

Fortunately, he was able to fulfill his dreams both academically and spiritually. In May, he will become the first electrical engineering student to graduate from ��ݮӰ��.

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With an engineer for a father and a growing passion for robotics, Skerratt was always fascinated by electronics and how they worked. Electrical engineering, a field that combines math, physics, and general hardware knowledge, seemed the perfect field ever since Skerratt dissected his first toy and discovered his first electrical circuit.

There was only one problem. The university he wanted to attend didn’t offer the program.

As a freshman at ��ݮӰ��, Skerratt majored in mathematics. He was convinced that his dreams of becoming an electrical engineer could wait. Until then, he would take advantage of the community and biblical education ��ݮӰ�� provided.

However, after a year of majoring in math, ��ݮӰ�� made a significant announcement. In the Fall of 2021, the Department of Engineering and Computer Science inaugurated the bachelor’s of science in electrical engineering — a new addition to complete a trio of engineering programs (computer, mechanical, and electrical). Skerratt did not hesitate to enroll in the program he’d wanted all along, and he hasn’t looked back since.

In the program, Skerratt says he’s benefited from learning under faculty who come directly from the workforce. He says the mentorship he’s received from professor Phil Hamory, a former NASA engineer, has been especially beneficial.

“In other colleges you might learn the knowledge and concepts,” Skerratt said, “but here at ��ݮӰ��, our professors will give us practical examples of what kind of actions and decisions they have made in this field.”

With classes such as Analog Circuits, Skerratt has been able to rise to the challenge electrical engineering itself brings–– completing assignments ranging from solving multiple mathematical equations to creating circuits of various complexities while simultaneously learning about the engineering industry.

Meanwhile, Skerratt says that he has also received the spiritual foundation he came to ��ݮӰ�� for, which has edified him both personally and through his vocation.

Professors like Dr. Jason Beals have blessed Skerratt’s life with classes such as New Testament Survey, allowing Skerratt to better understand the Creator.

“It’s wonderful having classes where not only do we learn the technicalities of electric systems,” he says, “but we also relate it back to God’s perfect design. In the end, God is the ultimate artist, and as engineers we are trying to replicate that.”

Furthermore, Skerratt began using his major even before graduation. Working in ��ݮӰ��’s Department of Informational Technology Operations, Skerratt works with challenges across campus that require both critical thinking and technical knowledge to solve. Whether it’s handling AV equipment or running new fiber optic cables to upgrade ��ݮӰ��’s network, Skerratt is able to use the problem-solving skills he’s learning in the classroom and apply them to his job.

But through it all, Skerratt highlights the spiritual growth that has come from his time here.

“The balance between having a biblical and academic education is incredible,” he says. “No matter how busy I am, I find the most important thing I can do is sit down and read God’s Word every morning. All the pressures that education brings quickly dwindle away in sight of the hope and wisdom of the Bible. Here at ��ݮӰ��, this truth is lived out by many, and I find that to be incredibly encouraging.”

Learn more about ��ݮӰ��’s electrical engineering program here.