Studying engineering wasn’t a foregone conclusion for Norman Barud, but given his interest in making and problem solving, it was not a surprising choice to many in his family. Barud comes from an environment of making and creativity, with engineers on both his mother and father’s sides of the family who encouraged his passions.
That passion was cultivated over time in high school as he participated in robotics clubs, 3D printing, and modeling and designing. At home, that passion was poured into via home renovation projects, especially after their home flooded during Hurricane Harvey.
“I remember right after Harvey we needed a rack to hang towels on the wall, and we had a giant chunk of wood in the backyard,” Barud said. “So, I ended up taking that giant chunk of wood, sanding it down and painting it and setting it up. And I remember after that for years my mom was like, ‘Oh, that is so great!’ So that was one of the first things I made that actually had a use.”
Now a student at the University of St. Thomas, Barud’s projects are a bit more complicated, but that same passion for making and problem solving is still there and what has helped him grow as a student in the Honors Program and as Lab Manager for the 3D printing lab in the Engineering Department.
Still, he finds the time to continue to grow his faith. Through his colleagues in the Honors Program, he is able to continue to engage with his faith through meaningful dialogue and is able to participate in Celts for Life and Campus Ministry events, though not as often as he would like as he is balancing studies with an internship with a local cement company.
“I feel like I have been very well prepared for my internships,” Barud said. “The internship course I am taking has helped me get the most out of them. Overall, the curriculum that we have here has been instrumental in making sure that I am properly prepared for the workforce.”
For more of Norman’s story, watch his episode of BOLD, where he sits down with Host Edgardo Giron and dives deeper into his journey at UST and in the Engineering program.