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William Besser

William Besser
Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
Anderson Trucking Service, Inc.
Scholarship Won:  Mac McCormick Memorial Scholarship - $5,000

My mother has worked in the trucking industry since before I was born.  Being exposed to trucking made me aware that everything we use or consume has been transported from where it was made to where we are using it.  It gave me appreciation for what it takes to move something from one place to another without damaging it.  I'm aware how fuel cost is affecting what I pay for all products that I use. 

Exposure to the equipment helped to set me on a path for a mechanical engineering degree.  I was always excited to see the truck equipment at my mom's work.  Growing up on a farm, I worked on machinery, and during summer jobs in high school, I was able to work on riding lawn mowers, golf carts and other small engines.  I am involved with the SAE Mini Baja project here at St. Thomas, which is allowing me to work on the design of our baja-buggy and then manufacture the parts, install them and then test them in a real environment.  All of these opportunities have convinced me that a career associated with equipment and vehicles is what I want to do.

My ideal career would be designing vehicles that would increase fuel efficiency or run on alternate power sources, althought I would be very happy to work in any area that is related to transportation or industrial machinery.  A creer path is determined by education, hard work and opportunities that present themselves.  I plan to continue to do my part by working at obtaining a quality education and good life skills.  Hopefully someday an opportunity will allow me to pursue a career in one of these areas.