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Jeremy Hamlin's path to working as an aerospace systems engineer has more twists and turns than a moon buggy.
When Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander returns astronauts to the lunar surface as part of NASA's Artemis program, a BW graduate will be able to say he had a role in the milestone.
Even as Jeremy Hamlin '19 works to help Blue Origin develop the next lunar lander, he is the first to admit that his own career launch was not a straight line up.
During a trip to visit family in Medina, Ohio, Hamlin stopped by his undergraduate alma mater to talk with BW engineering and physics students and shared that he didn't have it all figured out when he started as an exercise science major at Ohio State.
"I decided to transfer to BW, where I discovered a talent for physics and eventually changed majors," the BW STEM scholar recalls.
From there, he got involved as a Ratcliffe Growth Intern, where real-world consulting projects beefed up his business experience. He also pumped up his critical thinking through the Problem-Solving Club and worked on a research project with professor Paul Penko, developing a microbial fuel cell. Engineering professor Dr. Helen Muga then helped him shape that research into a paper and grant application.
"She was busy getting BW's new engineering major off the ground during my senior year but made time to mentor me on writing up that research, which really helped support my grad school application," the Magna Cum Laude graduate says. "Good grades are important, but making faculty connections is even more valuable."
In fact, a number of BW faculty tied together Hamlin's varied experiences in and out of the classroom to paint a picture in recommendation letters that helped to land him in the engineering graduate program at his dream school: U.C. Berkeley.
"It was the only grad school I applied to," he recalls. "It was the hardest year of my life in an accelerated engineering program that included a business and leadership emphasis. I think my involvement at BW worked together to get me in."
With the master's degree in hand, Hamlin was hired by General Motors in Detroit. He rotated through different areas, including virtual reality, where he interacted with top executives from CEO Mary Barra on down.
"I liked GM, but my dream was always to work in aerospace, and I really wanted meaningful work and a sense of purpose," Hamlin says of his next move to Blue Origin.
Started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the private company operates with a vision of "millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth." The company aims to develop "reusable launch vehicles and in-space systems that are safe, low cost, and serve the needs of all civil, commercial, and defense customers."
Hamlin works at the company's Colorado location, where he's focused on electrical harness systems and gets "to see the bigger picture of the work on the lunar lander."
His final advice to BW students looking to follow in his path is to "surround yourself with smart people, be a sponge, learn fast and deliver results."
The ultimate result for Hamlin will be to see his company's vehicle touching down on the Moon.
